


Enjoying the Present

by RubinaLadybug



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Shadow Game, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:54:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 58,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25044958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubinaLadybug/pseuds/RubinaLadybug
Summary: Yugi slowly pushes his friends, family, and even Yami away. He then becomes very ill and starts to suffer from nightmares. Could this be another test of the Puzzle? And can he make it through with so much on his mind and heart? Doesn’t Yugi know if someone lives in the past, they cannot live in the present and will lose sight of their future?
Kudos: 4





	1. Beyond the Present

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Fanfiction. I can't believe how much I grew since writing this. All I remember was that this story had to be told. Enjoy!

**Warning** : **Rated** **M for extreme themes of depression, loneliness, minor swearing, and bullying**.

 **Chapter 1:** **Beyond the Present**

The early a.m. was a quiet time; hardly any cars passed by. Not even the birds were awake to chirp their cheerful morning songs. No motions occurred within the Turtle Game store. However, in his unkempt bedroom, a teen with tri-color hair tossed and turned uncomfortably in his sleep.

Yugi’s Dream

The same teen was walking down a familiar, dim hallway filled with grey lockers and a tile ground. His black shoes with the studded belt clanked across the floor.

“Where am I?” he asked himself out loud, perturbed as he took in his surroundings. “Am I at… school?”

He wondered why everything was quiet. He soon came upon a door with a slim rectangular window. He slid it open and saw his classroom. The desks were in line, and no chalk markings tarnished the board. Cautiously, he walked in. As he did, he saw his two friends, Joey and Tristan. He walked to them and asked, “Hey, do you know what’s going on?”

However, the two boys did not respond. Yugi smiled, assuming his friends were playing a prank as they sometimes like to do.

“Um, hello?” he asked in a childish tone.

However, the two tall students did not reply; they remained absolutely still. Both held stoic expressions upon their faces and acted like they were only statues. They appeared as though they did not see the small boy at all.

“This isn’t funny anymore!” Yugi protested, becoming upset. He sighed with frustration as he gave up. He turned around and saw his friend Tea walking pass the classroom outside.

Before leaving, Yugi looked back and saw his two friends, who still did not respond to anything at all. The petite teen hopped out of the classroom to greet his buddy. “Hey, Te—”

However, the female student just walked right pass him. She also possessed a blank look.

“Huh?” Yugi questioned confused. He was puzzled about the events around him. Glancing further down the very dim hallway, he saw his darker half.

“Yami!” he called out with joy. As he raced over towards his partner, the area around them grew darker and darker. Just as Yugi was about to reach over towards his friend, the spirit vanished.

“Yami!” Yugi screamed, his heart filling with apprehension.

The hallway soon fell apart, and Yugi was left alone in complete darkness.

“What’s going on!?” Yugi bellowed, fear creeping into his mind. His head swirled with emotions of terror, anxiety, and loneliness. He did not want to be left in darkness all alone like he had in the past in his early childhood.

He cried desperately, “Please! Don’t leave me!”

End Dream

Yugi awoke a tad earlier than normal. The morning was quieter than what he was accustomed to. He tried to move, but his entire form felt too heavy to shuffle. His body ached all around, as though he had been smashed by a speeding semi-truck. He moaned in pain. Attempting to sit up, he rubbed his stomach; the area caused him tiny amounts of discomfort. He began feeling small cramps in that area not too long ago.

Bit by bit, he opened his eyes. His vision was at first blurry, and his head felt very heavy. Stepping out of bed, he approached his dresser and reached for a fresh pair of clothes.

He strolled over to his door and walked down the hallway towards the bathroom. He hopped in for a quick shower, trying to wash off the unpleasant smell and sweat that had formed during the night. He quickly dried himself off with an old towel and changed into his school uniform.

Finished, he thought back to the nightmare he had. At once a quick, sharp sting emitted from his stomach. He leaned over the sink for support as he grunted a little. He recalled the pain started to form the other day.

Flashback

“What!? Ryou is going to study overseas!?”

The teen with white hair expressed his calm, cheerful grin. Everyone was sitting outside enjoying their lunch under a shady tree. They leaned over and listened carefully to their friend’s story.

“Yes,” Ryou answered lightly. “I think it’ll be best if I continued my studies elsewhere.”

“Aw, we’ll miss you!” Tea said with sympathy.

“He’s not the only one who will be missed.” Tristan noted, glancing towards the female member of their group.

“I know,” Tea agreed. “But I still want to study dance in New York.”

“That’s a long way.” Duke commented as he took a sip of his drink.

“She’ll be fine!” Joey remarked with his usual silly grin. “Any guy that gives her trouble will be sorry for messing with her!”

“This is coming from someone with experience.” Tristan sighed.

“Hey! Shut it!” Joey protested angry.

“I think you should focus more on passing.” Duke advised towards the blonde.

“I got this!” Joey growled. “But what about you, Dice Boy?”

“I‘m good with school,” Duke replied with an arrogant shrug and grin. “But since you asked, I think I’ll just take some online courses as my parents are thinking about opening another location for the Black Crown game store.”

“That sure is something.” Tristan applauded. “As for me, I think I’ll take a year off and go with work with my brother, then see if I can go to a community college.”

“Yeah, he’s better off working with his brother than his sister,” the blonde snickered.

“Let’s not get out of hand,” Tea ordered as she wanted to enjoy her lunch time. She then smiled as she asked, “What about you, Yugi?”

“Me?” the smallest teen asked as he pointed towards himself.

“Yeah, Yug,” Joey joined in, also curious.

“Well,” Yugi scratched the back of his head. “Isn’t anyone going to Domino University?”

Silence grew among the group. They all looked around and waited for someone to answer, but no one did.

“You did say _university_ ,” Duke repeated. “Those are more expensive than community colleges.”

“Oh.” Yugi said with disappointment.

“Don’t worry,” Tea tried to cheer up her friend. “I’m sure you’ll make plenty of new friends there.”

Yugi stared at his food with a crestfallen look. He did not want to start over again. He wanted to stay with his friends. When he was younger, he did not want to start high school. Even though he had to put up with bullies, he wanted to stay with Tea and be with her. A part of him deep down resented change, though he kept that to himself.

“ _Do I have to go at this alone?_ ” Yugi thought sadly to himself. He packed away his lunch quietly as everyone else continued on with theirs. He suddenly lost his appetite.

End Flashback

Slowly, the teen lifted himself from the sink as the sting diminished. He continued on with his morning routine as normal. Opening the door to his room, he found his eyes were pulled by the light that shined off the Puzzle sitting upon his desk.

He reached for his pendent and placed his prize possession around his neck. Despite his treasure taking him eight years to solve and did cause plenty of trouble, the overall wish of him receiving friends was well worth it. His Puzzle had helped him through high school, but Yugi wondered what would help him in his college years.

//Is everything all right?// a spirit asked with concern for his partner. //You don’t seem to be well.//

//Just… a long night.// Yugi replied softly. He walked down the steps and into his kitchen where he prepared himself a glass of orange juice.

“Good morning, Yugi,” a woman greeted with a yawn. The boy turned to see a woman with short, maroon hair wearing a pink robe. She was a bit surprised to see her son ready for school so early. She normally had to toss him out of bed or found him sitting on the ground playing games. Placing aside the unusual, she asked kindly, “Did you want me to make you something? Pancakes? Eggs?”

“No, that’s ok.” Yugi insisted. “I’ll be going to school now.”

“Ok, then,” the woman yawned once more. “Have a good day.”

The boy placed on his shoes and left for school. Less people were out, which made Yugi feel a tad more comfortable. He did not want to be around so many individuals at the current moment. The walk over was quite peaceful.

Coming up to his learning destination, some students had already arrived, having been dropped off by working parents or had needed to catch an early bus ride. Although many teenagers prefer to sleep in until the last second, some attempted to finish their homework before the start of first period in their quiet rooms filled with trivial distractions.

Stepping into his classroom, Yugi gazed around seeing a few other peers rushing with their assignments. He grew surprised another adolescent with white hair already sat at his desk but worked diligently with a worried expression on his face.

“Good morning, Ryou,” Yugi greeted with a small smile.

“Can’t talk,” Ryou quickly explained. “I fell asleep forgot to get this done!”

“Oh, ok.” Yugi understood his friend.

The same incident had happened to him several times in the past. All the time needed could not be wasted with mindless chatter. Yugi took a seat next to his friend as he glanced around the classroom once more. He knew how much time he had before he would be in a new classroom, in a new setting, in a new school, and with new people, but he turned curious about how much of an emotional impact it will have on him before the end of the school year.

He began to reminisce about his first year. He was a lot smaller than he was now, both physically and emotionally. He was nervous meeting so many new students and seeing his old classmates grow taller. He always held a good relationship with Tea, but the girl was very outgoing. She would join clubs, take on new positions, and made friends easier. Yugi recalled he would just sit around in his classroom and played games by himself.

“I wonder if anyone likes games in college,” Yugi mumbled to himself. “Or… will they think that that’s just childish?”

His heart sank upon that idea. Games were his life after all. His grandfather owned a game shop, and the young teen had dreamed about bringing friends over to show them old and new games. His wish eventually came true.

“Did you say something?” Ryou asked as he gathered up his materials.

“Hmm,” Yugi replied, not expecting anyone hearing him. “No, I didn’t say anything.”

Ryou sighed with relief when he had managed to finish his assignment.

“I’m glad that’s over,” he remarked happily. “I hope I don’t make this mistake in college.”

“Me neither,” Yugi laughed.

As the time for first period to begin crawled along, more and more pupils showed up for class, and most of Yugi’s group was ready for the day. Just before the bell rang, a slow-witted teen with blonde hair raced towards the entrance.

“Made it!” he declared with pride as he tried to catch his breath.

“You want a gold star for that?” Tristan smirked.

“Shut it!” Joey yelled.

Everyone laughed.

Yugi looked around with joy, glad that over time he eventually became friends with everyone. However, his heart hurt a little thinking about life in college away from his high school companions, causing his stomach to twinge.

Although he felt sluggish, the school day went by pretty quickly for him. The only out of the normal routine was the teachers handing out flyers for students promoting Domino University, the same college where many Domino High School students apply and attend first.

At the end of the day, Yugi departed from his usual groups of friends and went home. He greeted his mother and grandfather, and he went straight to his room to finish up his assignments. Because he was not so hungry during dinnertime, he set his leftovers in the fridge. As the family placed their dishes away, the phone rang.

Yugi walked over and answered, “Hello?”

“Hello? Yugi? Is that you?” the other line asked.

“Dad!” Yugi asked with joy. “How are you!? How is your trip going!?”

“Just fine,” the man laughed. “How is school going?”

“Good,” Yugi answered. His smile faded a little as he asked, “Um… Dad, I was thinking about which college I should go to and… is your job still going to involve a lot of traveling?”

The other side turned quiet for a moment. Yugi waited anxiously for a reply. He wanted to know so he could better prepare himself for whichever college he wanted to attend. Deep within, a part of him was afraid to leave his mother and grandfather behind. He wanted to secure they would not be left alone.

“I don’t know at this moment,” the man finally answered. “But whatever you decide, I’m sure we can work around it.”

“Oh, ok,” Yugi said a little sadly. “Have a safe trip, Dad. Here’s Mom.”

The teen handed his mother the phone and walked towards his room. He sighed with discontent entering through his door. After taking off his Puzzle, he sat on his chair and thought about his options.

He did not want to leave home and live in the dorms. He was unsure of what his roommate would be like. He was afraid his roommate may not like games at all, or he could possibly be a bully. Yugi shuddered at the thought. He did not want to deal with anymore bullies.

Ever.

Just then, he felt his stomach becoming upset. He placed his hands on his abdominal for comfort. He was really unsure of what the future held for him, and he was a bit afraid.

//Something wrong?// Yami asked as he appeared.

Yugi glanced up towards his darker half. He did not want to address the problem. He wanted to be by himself and think about his options. He was unsure of what the spirit of the Puzzle could do for him. This was Yugi’s future, and he knew he needed to handle this problem by himself. He looked back down as he replied, //I… I just want some time alone… If… If you don’t mind.//

He hoped his tone sounded genuine and not rude. He felt a comforting hand on his shoulders. He glared back up seeing his partner smiling. His eyes filled with his usual confidence.

//I don’t mind.// the spirit said boldly. Before vanishing, he reminded gently, //I’ll be in the Puzzle until you’re ready to talk.//

Once alone, Yugi sighed, unsure if he ever would be ready to talk about it. He recalled he usually dealt with problems by taking them without aide from others. Because he did not want to be a burden to his family, he rarely asked for help. He always walked around with a smile. The grin was not a lie since he was truly happy with the way things were. He only wished for a real friend. A part of him worried if he was truly worthy of having loyal companions.

He sighed as he stood up. He told himself if he wanted to be prepared, he must know what he was getting into. He left his room with his school bag and walked to another room. The area contained a computer, a working desk, a lamp, and a bookshelf. The teen turned on the computer and allowed everything to load. He went through his bag and pulled out a flyer with the address for the website he needed to check out.

When the computer was ready, the young adult opened up the Internet and typed in the Domino University’s website.

**To be continued…**


	2. A University Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yugi attempts to settle his jitters by visiting a university.

**Chapter 2: A University Visit**

Yugi stared out beyond the fence on the school’s roof; the same place he ventured to when he wanted to be left alone. He recalled he did the same routine while trying to uncover a solution in rescuing his grandpa’s soul after it was stolen by a man named Pegasus, the creator of Duel Monsters. That was his first major adventure with his friends and the spirit of the Puzzle. There was excitement, tears, doubt, and fear, but everyone made it back home alive. Yugi was also grateful he not only took home wonderful memories, but he met new people as well.

He watched many students leaving the building and heading towards their individual destination. Everyone he knew was busy that afternoon. Usually, he would just head home but would enjoy partaking in a conversation with his darker half. However, on this afternoon, he had something else he needed to take care of.

Leaving school, he braved through a different path. He hopped on a different bus and took a seat by himself. Hardly any other passengers were on board. He looked out the window and saw many buildings, skyscrapers, telephone poles, and trees quickly pass by with the vehicle in motion.

//Where are we heading for?// Yami asked as he appeared.

//Just… a visit to a university.// Yugi replied quietly, fixing his look out at a different view than what he normally saw every day. He was proud of himself for taking a huge leap into his education but was a tad afraid of what the new world of learning held for him.

“ _A university?_ ” the spirit repeated. “ _Is he concerned about his future?_ ”

He observed his partner’s expression as Yugi appeared lost in his own world.

When the bus came to the right stop, Yugi stepped down from the vehicle and stood in front of a huge iron-gate. They were open wide as many older and tall students passed by. Although the day had ended for many high school students, some undergraduates were barely beginning their studies.

Yugi glared down the gates with awe, fear, and excitement. He wondered what lied beyond the entrance of Domino University. His body trembled, and his heart raced quickly. A part of him wanted to turn away. To calm himself down, he took a big breath and tried to cheer himself on.

The university was far bigger than Yugi was accustomed to in his high school world. Four giant buildings that appeared to be three stories high stood with many dirt free windows and clean classrooms. Students passed by chatting away about their classes or activities they plan to do.

Yugi felt very small. The world of higher education was very vast with learning new subjects, dealing with new professors with different titles, and students that came in and out during the morning, afternoon, and evening. Yugi acted carefully in watching where he walked. He did not want to bump into any bigger students and cause problems. He had plenty of experience when he was younger and did not want to go through them again.

The high school student was lost. He wasn’t sure where the administration building was. He did not have the confidence to ask for the location. To his relief he saw a directory with a detailed map of the campus. His eyes drew to the red arrow that read, “You are here.”

“Ah, there it is,” he mumbled to himself after observing the map. Earlier in the day he asked himself questions the administration department may ask. He double checked he had his high school student ID and a folder with loose-leaf paper to jot down any important information or gather any necessary website links he may need.

“Hey,” one student called out. Yugi turned to his side and saw a male student with brown hair wearing a yellow shirt and brown pants. He smiled as he asked, “Aren’t you Yugi Muto?”

The teen nodded his head.

“This is so cool!” the student exclaimed. “My name is Eichi. Would you be interested in taking a look at the school’s Duel Monsters club?”

“Duel Monsters club?” Yugi repeated a tad stunned.

“Yes, it’s a fun club!” Eichi tried to persuade. “I’m sure all of our members would be pleased to meet to you.”

Yugi thought about his option. As much as he wanted to attend a college meeting and learn something new, he remembered he had to take care of a few things.

“I would, but I need to go to the administrative office.” Yugi explained.

Eichi’s smile faded a bit as he said, “I hate to tell you this, but the office is closed.”

“Really?” Yugi asked confused.

“Yeah, there’s some sort of flooding that happened there.” Eichi informed.

Yugi glanced down at the ground with discontent. He really wanted to take a look as to what he needed to do and what papers needed to be filled in so he could attend Domino University. He quickly doubted himself as to whether or not he would be prepared for college.

“Well, I could show you around the place if you like.” Eichi offered.

Yugi thought about his option once more. He figured he might as well take a tour of the school he would soon attend. The one named Eichi did not appear to be a bad fellow. Yugi finally agreed, “Ok.”

“Great!” Eichi exclaimed.

The older student took the younger student around the place. Yugi grew fascinated with all the advanced equipment the school was able to use.

Top of the line computers and giant lecture halls lied within the buildings. Professors and instructors had their own tiny office for assisting their students with homework or preparing for tests. There were also numerous study places students used mainly to chat rather than do work. The young adolescent noticed many undergraduates using their own laptops to have their assignments done and take notes.

“ _Guess I’ll need one of those_.” Yugi thought to himself.

“Since the administrative office is closed, do you think you can make it to the meeting?” Eichi asked once more, almost begging.

“I don’t see why not,” Yugi answered.

Eichi and Yugi walked up a flight of stairs to the second floor of one of the buildings. The carpet held interesting designs that matched along with some of the posters put on display. Many students stood inside and outside the classrooms. The two boys soon came across room 205. As Eichi opened the door, Yugi grew stunned to see numerous students interested in the trading card game.

“Hey, everyone,” Eichi greeted, “I brought over a special guest.”

Everyone was in shock to see the winner of Duelist Kingdom and Battle City in the same room as them.

“Um… Hi,” Yugi greeted nervously.

“Hi!” everyone greeted back with joy.

As the teen walked in, he saw many duelists playing the game or just relaxing and talking among peers. If not, then they were watching a large screen with a card expert in view explaining new rules, different cards, and which ones were banned from tournaments.

There were about as many as thirty members in the club. Yugi couldn’t help but feel a tad jealous. In his class, a few other kids played the game, but they were mainly boys who far below Yugi’s and Joey’s level of experience. He doubted any of the duelists had to place their lives in a Shadow Game, like he had done many times in the past. He was brought back to reality when heard many players talking loudly.

“And for my next turn, I activate this!”

“What? What do you mean I lost 1,000 life points!?”

“Wow! What an awesome strategy!”

“That card is so cute!”

“I want one in my deck!”

“Hey, Yugi,” Eichi called out, “Want to play?”

“Um…” was all Yugi could say before a female interrupted, “Leave Mr. Muto alone.”

Yugi turned to see a young lady with long, brown hair wearing a green blouse and blue skirt.

“I’m sure Mr. Muto has plenty of high school studying to get back to,” she said sternly.

“Oh, right,” Yugi smiled, feeling sheepish. He looked over at the clock and realized he needed to leave so he would be able to return home before it became too dark outside.

“Do you think you can stay and meet our president?” Eichi asked, “He’s in class right now, but I’m sure he’d really like to meet you and be impressed you came along.”

“I’m sorry,” Yugi replied, “But I do need to get back home.”

“I’ll walk you back to your stop,” the female student offer.

“Bye, Yugi!” everyone said, “Hope you come back soon!”

The teen smiled then left.

“Um… I don’t think I got your name,” Yugi said, trying to be polite as the pair left the building and headed down the same path he took to enter.

“My name is Madoka.” she introduced herself with a smile, “I’ve been playing Duel Monsters ever since it came out.”

“Wow,” Yugi said impressed.

“I’m really glad there is a club like this on campus. Is that why you’re coming here? For the club?”

“Well, actually, I didn’t know there was a Duel Monsters club. This is the university many students from Domino High School attend after graduation.”

“Oh… Well, even if you decide to go someplace else, I hope you can stop by and say hello. I’m sure many of our members will be happy to see you again. We‘re really trying to expand the club to new people interested in learning the game.”

Madoka went through her bag and took out a bright colored sheet of paper.

“Here,” she offered, “It’s a flyer for our club meetings.”

Yugi accepted the paper and examined it with awe. Decorations of many characters, as well as the time and place of the meetings stood out.

“You should stop by again to meet our president, Izumi. He and Aoi are the founders of the club, but Aoi was too laid back to take charge and make the dream of having a Duel Monster‘s club a reality.” Madoka laughed.

“I’ll see if I can.” Yugi replied, wanting to return.

When the two came upon the large, iron-gates, Madoka assured, “Don’t feel as though you need to came right on time or stay the entire meeting. It’s a club where people can come and go, as we all have other things to take care of.”

“Thanks for everything.” Yugi expressed filled with gratitude.

“No problem.” Madoka winked.

The two departed, and Yugi went to his bus stop. He hopped on and sat by himself. For entertainment he took out the flyer and examined it once more. He never expected to meet such people at a university.

“ _Maybe things won’t be so bad_ ,” Yugi tried to cheer himself up for choosing a different school from his friends.

Yami watched his partner from within the Puzzle. He smiled upon seeing his lighter half appear excited about moving up in education.

When the teen came home, he found a package waiting for him on the kitchen counter. He gazed upon the thick, snow-colored envelope and became surprised the sender was from Domino University. He did not understand how he managed to obtain the same information he was looking for while exploring the college campus earlier.

After greeting his grandfather, Yugi placed his belongings in his room. Taking off his sapphire jacket, he draped it on his simple chair. He then carefully settled the upside down pyramid on his cluttered desk.

He sat on his bed and organized the papers around him. He prudently analyzed each set of instructions and guidelines he must to follow in order to submit the perfect application. He was glad he received the information he needed, but his stomach became upset once more.

He did not realized how much he needed to fill out in order to be looked at by the administration. Plenty of words and phrases swirled his mind as he had difficulty comprehending them. The only thing he knew was that he wanted to stay home and away from the dorms. The thought of a roommate still frighten him a bit.

A sudden knock came from the door.

“Yes?” the boy answered.

As the door opened, an elderly man stepped through.

“I see you received a package from Domino University,” the old man observed with a grin.

“Yup,” the teen replied.

“Guess the first people on their lists to send these out are those who had family who are alumni of the university.” Solomon deduced.

Yugi shot his head up baffled.

“What do you mean?” he asked confused. “Who went to Domino University?”

“Your father did, of course!” Solomon replied with a laugh. “He went to study business and marketing. I suppose all that hard work paid off as he received his promotions very quickly.”

Yugi glanced back to his forms. He had no clue where his parents went to school, and he felt a little dumb for not asking.

“What about my mom?” the teen asked, now filled with curiosity. “Where did she attend school?”

“I don’t remember where she went to.” Solomon answered honestly. “You can ask her when she returns home after her shift from the pharmacy. Did you know she studied overseas for a semester?”

Yugi’s eyes widened a bit.

“No, I didn’t,” he answered truthfully. “How did she afford that?”

“She received a scholarship,” the old man informed.

“ _She must have been really smart_.” Yugi assumed, reflecting on his average grades. He felt abashed for not being a bright student like his parents were.

Before leaving, Solomon tried to cheer up his grandson by saying, “Of course you don’t have to go to Domino University if you don’t want to. There are plenty of other colleges you might be interested in.”

“Well isn’t that great,” Yugi sighed sarcastically to himself once alone.

He became glad knowing his parents worked hard and survived another set of school, and he grew surprised learning how intelligent his parents were. His father received promotions, while his mother not only earned a scholarship but even had the opportunity to study overseas. His father studied business while his mother studied medicine. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted to do with his life yet.

The forms were still scattered around the teen’s bed, but he went ahead and lied down on his mattress with his blanket only covering halfway. He folded his arms and rested them behind his head as he reflected his options. He had the choice to attend Domino University like he originally planned, or he could expand his search and look for more opportunities.

To him, a small light of relief formed when he had been informed his father had attended Domino University, and also the existence of a Duel Monsters club on campus with fun loving people like Eichi and Madoka. He then remembered applying was one thing, but testing in was another variable. He wasn’t even sure if he should attend any of the after school studying programs many of his peers took in order to increase their chances of entrance.

However, because of all the adventures with duels and dark magic, he felt lucky enough to be passing some of the toughest classes he needed. He sighed with discontent remembering he still needed to pass high school before he could even go to college.

He developed a headache with all of the terminology floating around, but his stomach was causing him more pain. He positioned his hands from his head to his abdominal area for comfort. He was in no mood to eat any dinner. He closed his eyes as he tried to relax.

The one part he didn’t understand was why doubt plagued his mind. In the past years of his high school life, he made friends, dueled a corrupted C.E.O., face the madness of the Duel Monster’s creator, saved his grandfather’s soul, survived the harsh duels from Battle City, lived through a virtual universe, saved the whole world and his closest friend from the darkness of an evil serpent, and maintained confidence at the K.C. Grand Prix.

“ _So why is applying to college so scary for me?_ ” Yugi wondered with immense anxiety.

**To be continued…**


	3. A Restless Night

**Chapter 3: A Restless Night**

Yugi sat at his school desk writing down notes on a slip of paper. In between lectures the student would jot down any information that came to mind. Moments passed where his brain was absolutely focused on school and others where he grew lost within his own world.

The spirit of the Puzzle grew a bit curious why his partner seemed so interested in a single, plain piece of line paper. Yami understood school could be tedious and uninteresting at times, but Yugi was still in class and needed to pay attention in order to do well. Yami peered over Yugi’s shoulder to see what was so fascinating. He was glad no one else could see him, for this act would have appeared very strange.

The paper was set into two columns with two different headings. Below them were bullet points with a few words placed on. Although the pharaoh did not understand the headings on top, he could tell one column contained positive information while the other held negative factors.

“ _Perhaps Yugi is considering his options for his future_.” he assumed as he disappeared, not wanting to be a distraction for his light.

During their lunchtime, Yugi and Joey were playing a quick game of Duel Monsters.

“I activate this magic card!” Joey declared bravely as he flipped over one of his cards on the field. “It allows me to—” He cut himself off noticing his opponent and friend not paying attention.

“Yo, Yug, everything ok?” he questioned with concerned.

“Oh… yeah.” Yugi replied as he snapped back into reality.

“You don’t look so well.” Tristan observed. “Maybe you should go to the nurse.”

The small teen wanted to protest but found his energy leaving him. He felt his own hand tremble, and his stomach began to hurt once more.

Joey glanced over towards the brown paper bag by Yugi and noticed his small buddy had not eaten any of his lunch. The blonde folded his cards, stood up, and instructed firmly, “Come on, we’re taking you to the nurse.”

“But what about our Duel?” Yugi tried to argue. “You were doing so well this time!”

“Relax, we can always just put the game on pause.” Tristan tried to reason.

“But—” Yugi was about to counteract when he saw his friend placing his hand over his deck. Both the other teens grew surprised at the blonde’s act.

“We can Duel any time,” Joey explained after he surrendered. “But if you’re not feeling well, we need to make sure you get better as soon as possible.”

Yugi reluctantly accepted his friend’s offer. He respected the blonde for swallowing his pride for his sake.

The three walked down a long hallway towards the infirmary. Yugi glanced up for a bit but kept his eyes down low. He recalled he always dreaded walking down the hallway alone; older classmates knocked his books out of his hands or purposely shoved him down to the hard tile floor. Now he had his two companions looking out for him. Since then, hardly anyone ever did pick on him.

“ _Is that because Joey and Tristan are my friends?_ ” he pondered. “ _Do… do I not have the courage to stand up for myself? Will I ever be able to?_ ”

He felt his abdominal area hurt once more.

“What’s wrong?” Joey asked as he turned around and noticed his friend held a look of pain on his face.

The group stopped walking.

“Nothing,” the boy mumbled, wanting to move on.

* * *

“Well, Mr. Muto, you have a small fever,” the nurse informed as she glanced at the thermometer.

“ _Great_ ,” Yugi sighed as he closed his heavy eyes. “ _I already have so much to do… Getting sick is the last thing I need_ _right now._ ”

Immediately, his stomach became upset once more. By instinct he wrapped his hands around his stomach.

//Yugi, if you feel unwell, then you should go home and rest.// Yami tried to encourage.

//I can’t afford to miss anymore school!// Yugi argued tensed. //I need to get as much studying done before the year is up!//

//But the school year isn’t that far in, is it?// Yami pointed out kindly. //You may end up becoming absent if you allow yourself to contract something worse.//

Yugi sighed dismally.

“Mr. Muto?” the nurse called the student’s name.

Yugi opened his eyes.

“Sorry about that,” Joey tried to cover up for his small buddy. “I’m sure he’s just having a headache and didn’t hear what you said.”

“I asked if it was all right if I call and have someone take you home,” the nurse repeated.

Yugi glanced at his friends who all possessed concerned expressions. He did not want to burden them, but his pals would still worry. Either way, he couldn’t win. In the end he simply nodded.

The two boys waited with their pal until Yugi’s mother arrived. When she did, the nurse informed the woman of her son’s condition. Yugi had his things gathered for him and prepared to leave the school for the day.

“Get better soon,” Joey encouraged with his usual grin.

“We’ll let Tea know you went home early so she doesn’t think you ditched,” Tristan winked as he joked.

Yugi only smiled a tiny one. He was grateful his pals were there to help him out, but he knew he ended up causing everyone to worry about him once more. The boy walked with his mother in silence, and the drive back home mirrored that.

Yugi went straight to his room upon his arrival. Placing his bag by his desk, he settled his necklace down, too. He sighed heavily taking out a large textbook. Not wanting to become behind in his studies, he worked. Shuffling through his papers, he came to the same sheet he had been working on throughout the day. Angrily, he crumpled the paper and tossed it behind him. He didn’t want to think of anything other than school work that needed to be done.

Yami sensed through their link the frustration his partner was undergoing.

//Yugi,// he began gently. //Why not take a nap and then finish your work?//

“I don’t have time!” Yugi spat as he tried to solve a simple question from his book. “I need to get this done!”

//But Yugi, if you’re becoming frustrated, then the answers won’t come as easy to you.// Yami tried to reason.

The teen heard his darker half. He really wanted to go to bed. He wanted to sleep, and a part of him never wanted to wake up.

He didn’t want to deal with the homework assigned so frequently.

He didn’t want to pester his friends with his small fever.

He didn’t want to agonize his family about his decision about which college he wanted to attend, assuming he was accepted.

Yugi bolted up from his spot and looked out his window. For now, his problems were pretty common ones. He wondered if it was a positive outlook since he and his friends had recently saved the world from evil once more. Currently, no other threat came about.

He became troubled if something horrific would take place before his entrance exam. He wanted to be there for Yami; he had made a promise to help restore his partner’s memories. He viewed the spirit as his friend, and he had committed he would always be there for his friends.

Yugi’s stomach twinge when the word “friend” swept across his mind. Although he had created a vow to assist his circle of companions, he wondered if he ever made time for himself. He wondered if he would need to if he’d just end up alone in college.

At that moment, an unpleasant sting crashed his abdominal area.

//Yugi, are you all right?// Yami asked, seeing his partner leaning against his desk.

Yugi clinched his stomach with one hand as he tried to support himself against the table with his other. He breathed heavily, but his eyes were glued to the Puzzle. Slowly, he removed one hand as he grasped the chain of his pendent.

For a second, the only thing on his mind was his treasure. He barely heard his partner as other problems consumed his mind, draining his spirit. He noticed he wanted to be alone, and to him, that selfish desire contradicted the one wish he wanted desperately. Recalling he finally had friends, it was at the cost of having to always save the world from darkness. A part of him never wanted his adventures to end, and the other never wanted to deal with those same problems.

His eyes then gazed down at the chain. Chains were often used with meaning whether it was a keep out or a deep connection, but at times they were viewed as a decoration. The teen didn’t want anyone to feel like they were tied down to him. Quickly, he removed his hand from the table and grasped his stomach. He couldn’t think anymore. He shut his eyes tightly as the pain engulfed his entire form.

“Yugi!” Yami bellowed, watching in horror of his partner falling to his knees while clutching his stomach area. He rushed to the aide of his lighter half but was unable to do anything.

“Yugi!” he called out once more. “What’s wrong!?”

“Ya… mi… I‘m sor—” was all the teen could whisper in between gasp of agony while still possessing the upside down pyramid.

* * *

The young adult with the tri-color hair lied on his mattress with a cool cloth over his eyes. He was in his light blue pajamas in his room with the lights off. His heart was beating a little fast, but his breathing was normal.

Yami watched over his other half carefully with a very depressed countenance.

“ _The doctors said your stomach pain was caused by extreme amounts of stress_ ,” he reflected sadly. “ _Since they only prescribed you medication and there was nothing more they could do, they sent you back home to rest_.”

He recalled his partner held onto the Puzzle throughout the drive to and from the hospital. On the way back, all remained quiet in the car as the Muto’s allowed a member of their family to rest.

A sudden knock occurred at the door. The spirit turned around to see Yugi’s mother and grandfather in the doorway with worried expressions. The elderly man stepped quietly into the room and walked up to the mattress. He was unsure of what was causing such stress, but he had seen a similar illness in his grandson not too long ago. He decided to investigate.

“Yugi,” the old man called out quietly. “Is there a problem going on at school?”

Yami decided to listen in as well. He glanced down at the teen and tried to observe the situation at hand.

“…No,” Yugi replied softly.

“Are you falling behind in one of your classes? Is there a teacher giving you a hard time?”

“…No…”

“What about your friends? Is there trouble among them?”

“…No…”

Solomon glanced back towards the short woman. They both felt the same pain of seeing someone they cared deeply about undergo a rough time. He knew Yugi’s mother wanted to help out in any way she could, but if the matter dealt with dark forces, she may not have as much to offer.

Solomon walked up closer to his grandson and asked quietly, “Is there any trouble with the spirit of the Puzzle? Is there any evil afoot?”

“…No,” was all Yugi continued to answer.

The old man sighed. There was nothing more he could do.

“We’ll just let you rest,” he said then walked out of the room.

The door closed evenly, leaving the young boy alone with the former pharaoh. Yami watched over his partner carefully.

“ _He was telling the truth the whole time_ ,” he observed sadly. “ _His heart did not waver at all._ ”

He clinched his fists together tightly. He wanted to assist Yugi to recover but was unsure of what else he could do.

“ _Yugi, what’s bothering you so much?_ ”

He tried to remember if his light had been dealing with any emotional anxiety, but nothing came to mind. His thoughts became interrupted as he watched in horror as the young teen attempted to sit up. He felt the powerful surge of pain his borrowed body underwent.

//Yugi!// Yami bellowed as he rushed over.

//Yugi, don’t move.// he advised softly. //The doctors said you must rest.//

The young teen stopped shuffling around. He obeyed and tried to sleep. Achieving his goal was troublesome as his stomach shocked his whole body with great waves of pain. His mind was having difficulty resting as questions bombarded his head.

//Try and relax your mind,// Yami suggested, feeling anxiety coming from Yugi.

The teen tried to sleep once more, too fatigued to think of anymore worst-case scenarios. But every time a new problem arose, his stomach would pull all his muscles into a tight squeeze. He was soon lost into a world of sleep that lasted well into the evening.

The spirit looked after his lighter half immensely worried. He felt helpless he couldn’t do anything to assist with the physical illnesses, but since there could be another culprit at hand, he held a strong desire to help out. He attempted to have his mind place together any possible theory as to what bothered his companion so greatly. He soon saw the ill teen waking up from his slumber.

//Yugi,// he called gently as he kneeled beside the mattress, filled with concern. //How do you feel?//

Yugi rubbed his eyes, but his mind stayed groggy. He had forgotten where he was, or what recently happened to him. All he could remember were images of chains. Suddenly, the two heard Yugi’s door open. The mother of the teen walked in with a small bowl of rainbow sherbet in hands.

“I know you may not be hungry,” she said in a quiet tone, “but you should at least eat something. This will help ease your stomach.”

She placed the bowl on her son’s lap with a sad yet motherly loving expression on her face. She left the room and allowed the boy to be alone.

Yugi stared at the bowl with a blank look. He stirred the frozen confection as the heat melted the ice. Slowly, he started to wake up.

//You should take a few bites.// Yami suggested while trying to not give a full order.

Yugi felt hungry, but at the same time he wasn’t. He heard his doctor’s remedy, and he needed at least five days of proper rest. He sighed once more and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to be out of school that long.

Although he wasn’t too far behind in his studies, he was about to start what he wanted to avoid. When he came down with a normal illness in the past, his body fought the disease for a day or so. He did not like being sick, for he was away from his friends, and he disliked lying on a couch watching mind-numbing daytime television of talk shows, soap operas, commercial programs, and baby learning episodes.

He lifted the spoon up and placed the frozen treat into his mouth, but he had difficulty swallowing.

* * *

“There’s a letter addressed to Yugi,” the woman said after examining the mail.

“From where?” Solomon asked with curiosity.

“Domino University,” the lady gasped a tad stunned but also amused. “Has he started applying already?”

She couldn’t help but giggle a bit. She was happy seeing her boy grow up before her eyes.

“I don’t think so,” the elderly man replied. “But maybe this can help cheer him up. This _is_ from the same college as his father.”

He took the letter and walked up the steps to his grandson’s room. Knocking gently on the door, he stepped through when cleared. As he entered, he saw his grandson sitting up in bed and had only managed to eat a few bites of his dish.

“Yugi,” he called out quietly. “There’s a letter here for you.”

“From who?” Yugi wondered as he released his spoon.

“Domino University,” the old man replied.

Yugi’s eyes enlarged as fear and doubt consumed his mind. He grasped his stomach area as pain emitted once more.

“Yugi!” Solomon and Yami bellowed at the same time. The elderly man grabbed his grandson to prevent him from falling. He then gently helped the boy lie back down on the mattress.

After the pain lessened, Yugi whispered, “Put it on my desk… I’ll… I’ll look at it… later.”

Solomon did what he was told. He then took away the nearly filled bowl of food and left the room to let the boy rest.

Yami proceeded to watch over his partner carefully throughout the night.

“ _His body is at ease, but his spirit is restless_.” he observed unhappily. “ _There was a moment where he seemed truly afraid. But of what? And why?_ ”

He retreated back into his Puzzle to investigate without having to disrupt his light’s sleep.

During the middle of the night, the teen awoke. His stomach gave him a little discomfort but not as horrible as before. Yugi had too little energy to sit up, so he allowed himself to lie awake with his thoughts.

As a child, he often wondered what his purpose was in life, and he didn’t receive an answer until his first year in high school. However, he wondered what his new purpose would be after assisting the pharaoh in regaining his lost memories. A part of him feared Yami would no longer exist after their next adventure. He did not want to say goodbye to Yami or any of his other companions. He sighed heavily.

He knew when he recovered he would be taken by his pals to Burger World, his favorite place to go. He thought back to all the times he hung around with his loyal companions. For those brief moments, he was just a regular adolescent. Back to when his childhood friend Tea worked, he went there often. Although he didn’t have the money or the stomach to consume down an entire meal each visit, he often would order something small just to see and support his friend. He remembered all the places he’d like to go, whether it was with everyone in his group, or just himself and the pharaoh.

Having so many adventures with his buddies, he felt his chest ache with the idea of having to split from his group he cared for so deeply. Perhaps the hardest place of all to give up was his high school.

He met and stayed friends with the ones he saw every day. He knew after graduation all his members would take a different path towards their goals in life. He also knew the person who would have it the hardest was his closest friend Tea. She was the one who was making a big decision so she could follower her dream.

“ _She’s making that vision into a reality_.” Yugi reflected. “ _But she will also be leaving her family behind. I don’t know how she manages to be so strong when the future can be so scary_.”

He grunted in pain as his abdominal area caused him trouble once more. Quickly, he tried to relax his mind and body as he did not want a lecture from the spirit of the Puzzle. He was in no mood to hear what he already knew. He sighed once more.

“ _I’m not sure if I can handle staying here anymore_.”

And just like that, he felt a tad better. Stress left his body upon realizing a solution to a piece of his problem.

“ _What if I did go someplace else?_ ” Yugi pondered. “ _Although I would be leaving behind Domino, maybe I can enjoy some other places, even if it’s just one city over_.”

Glancing to the ground, he saw his crumpled up paper he tossed earlier. Slowly, he reached for the slip and once he grabbed hold of it, he carefully unfolded it. He examined the lists he made about the pros and cons about attending Domino University.

“ _Time to make a new list_.” Yugi told himself. He steadily made his way from his mattress towards his desk. He turned on his lamp to see more clearly. He sat at his desk, opened a drawer, and took out another sheet of paper.

Like his first composition, Yugi made two columns about the same subject. He turned determined in finding out if he was better off almost starting life over again. He figured college was a time to try new events without being brought down by sad memories of favorite establishments like the Spider Arcade or Burger World. He did, however, wondered if Burger World had more than one location. He made a mental note to check the next time he went.

He rapidly created bullet points about the pros of leaving, and the cons of being on his own. In the back of his mind, he heard someone calling out his name, but he ignored the familiar voice. He was too busy and excited to listen. When he was done brainstorming as many points as possible, he turned the paper over and started on a new set.

He quickly made notes about money. Although not a greedy person, he knew he needed as much cash as he could obtain in order to go through school. He reviewed in his head he would need to find a place like an apartment to stay in exchange for a dorm, food to eat, tuition money, and entertainment. Despite being aware of how much time the young adult would be working and studying, he understood that he could not spend all his time doing dreaded, tedious work. He knew he wanted to have fun as well.

Yugi stopped writing. His whole body trembled with fear. Throughout the joy of being free, he forgot what cost freedom actually is, and not just money wise. He truly wanted to find a solution to his problem but believed he couldn’t win no matter which path he took. He either be leaving or be left behind by the people he truly cared about. He reviewed the lists he made. He then glanced towards his side and noticed the letter from Domino University. He didn’t have the courage to open it.

He felt his stomach aching once more, far worse than earlier. He wrapped his arms around himself as he leaned over. He moaned in pain. Wanting to cry a little, he felt no tears forming.

Suddenly, the familiar voice broke through.

//Yugi! Are you all right!?// Yami asked as he finally reached his partner.

Yugi’s body slowly relaxed as he placed his head on his cool desk to rest.

//I believe you should go back to bed.// Yami ordered in a gentle tone.

Yugi didn’t argue; his whole body was too fatigued to do anything else. Slowly, he made his way back from his desk towards his bed. He placed himself underneath his covers and closed his heavy eyes.

“ _Back to square one_ ,” he thought sadly as sleep overtook his body once more.

**To be continued…**


	4. Illness Effect

**Chapter 4: Illness Effect**

Yugi awoke late in the morning. He groaned as discomfort strained his body. He removed the cloth from his face that warmed up during the night and rubbed his eyes. Glancing over at his clock, he remembered everyone else was in school. He sighed out of isolation as he tried to sit up.

//Wait!// Yami protested with care. //Are you feeling well enough?//

The teen stopped moving and reviewed he had too little strength to move at all. He decided to stay put to ease himself and his friend.

//Did you sleep ok,// the spirit asked, making easy conversation.

//Yeah…// Yugi answered lazily.

Yami assumed his partner still did not act like his normal self, only burnt out. He advised gently, //Why don’t you go back to sleep.//

Tiredly, Yugi glanced over towards his pendant. He recalled the previous night his last thoughts were about chains. He reflected the eight years it took him to solve the entire Puzzle. He was drawn to the power emitted inside. At first he did not understand and just enjoyed his time placing the pieces together.

“ _And then I met you_ ,” he remembered nostalgically.

If anything, he wouldn’t ever be alone as long as he stayed connected to his darker half. He first found the idea of an ancient spirit watching over him while ill a bit odd in the beginning. As time moved on, he grew more comfortable around the pharaoh. He wondered if he would miss having someone by his side and encouraging him either through words, action, or even mere presence.

He knew he only had so much time before the Domino Museum closed its exhibit on Ancient Egypt and displayed something new. Any other clues that would help lead the pharaoh to finding his memories would soon be lost. Yugi gripped his bed sheets tightly with fear. Although he wanted to keep his promise, a part of him wanted to keep his friend with him. He thought about the possibility of bringing the Puzzle with him if he ever decided to leave Domino. At least then he would never be alone.

He allowed himself to drift back into sleep until the evening.

Yami took a seat on a chair in Yugi’s room as he watched over his partner. Carefully, he observed the boy’s chest inhale and exhale calmly, like the waves in a harmonious sea. The young teen also had his eyes closed as his body rested against the mattress with the sun gently shining through. So far, no signs of the illness worsening, or the boy suffering from his stomach ulcer appeared.

“ _Stress is a terrible build up_ ,” the spirit noted. “ _Yugi… What is it that is causing you to become ill? What are you so tense about?_ ”

Yami decided when the teen woke up he should be well enough to talk about his problems. Although he wanted to find his own memories, he pushed aside his problem to take care of his partner. He, however, did not want to pressure the younger one into speaking about his inner private thoughts. He held too much respect for his partner to commit such an act.

“ _But if I can find a clue as to what is bothering you, then maybe I can help find a solution_.”

The sun moved graciously across the sky, signifying how much time had passed during the day. Yami kept a close eye on his lighter half. He knew the adolescent needed as much rest as possible in order to recover on a steady path.

Because the teen slept into the late afternoon, he did not have the opportunity for a visit with his friends. As the sun finished melting into the horizon, Yugi woke up. Bit by bit, he opened his eyes. He groaned a little in pain. He sat up in bed and noticed his body was covered with sweat and an unpleasant smell.

//How do you feel?// Yami asked casually. He waited patiently before receiving a steady reply, //Still tired… but fine.//

Carefully, the boy stood up and made his way to his dresser.

//Yugi, you should stay in bed,// Yami heavily recommended, wanting to keep his partner from passing out and hitting the floor.

//I will,// Yugi answered softly. //I just want to take a bath first and wash off.//

Just as the boy was about to open his door, his grandfather knocked. No words exchanged between the pair, and the elderly man guided his grandson to the bathroom where a warm bath was already prepared. The woman with maroon hair and Solomon allowed the teen to rinse off on his own. Yugi took off his clothes and stepped into the water.

“ _This feels good_ ,” Yugi thought as he allowed his body to relax.

He was a tad upset he slept through a time where he could have had a visit from his friends. Although he was not prepared to say anything about his emotions, he still wanted a little company. He recalled a memory when he was a first year in high school. He had a small fever and everyone came by after school. He felt ecstatic for having people rearranging their plans to see someone they cared about. He realized friendship is like a nice, warm bath for the human spirit and heart. He didn’t want to leave the gratifying water for a cold world.

A small knock was at the door. The young adult sighed as he hopped out, dried himself off, and changed into a fresh, clean pair of pajamas. He was glad he finally obtained some clothes that did not look as though he was in grade school.

After leaving the bathroom, Yugi was guided by his mother towards his room. He entered his room and told his family that he would just go straight to sleep.

When the door shut, a spirit appeared and asked with care, //How do you feel?//

//Fine… I’m going to bed.// Yugi announced a bit tired. He climbed onto his mattress and lied on his back. However, he remained awake for a bit.

Silence took control of the room. The older boy made a note of this, and because no extreme pain bound Yugi’s body, he decided to seize this opportunity to talk with his lighter half.

//Are you ready to speak about why you are building up so much stress?// he finally asked.

Yugi shifted towards his side with his back against his darker half.

The spirit grew a concerned look on his face.

//Yugi, please,// he began. //What’s wrong?//

The young teen stayed silent. He simply closed his eyes instead. Although he didn’t want to be left alone, he did not want to explain his problems. He couldn’t help but hold back.

//Can’t we talk about this?// Yami tried to reason but received no reply. He sighed wearily, unsure what else he could do. He was confused why his partner was not speaking with him. He understood his partner was drained, but he could only assume the worst. Perhaps the one reason why Yugi was not speaking to anyone was because of the one fact that could cause a relationship to fail.

//I thought we trusted each other.// he thought out loud to his lighter half. //We’ve been through many battles together, and you’ve been there with me the entire time. Our harshest time together was when we faced Dartz.//

He closed his eyes with disgust as he clinched his fits tightly, recalling his terrible action that nearly cost his partner’s life.

//Is that why you won’t talk to me?// Yami asked despondently. //Have you not forgiven me? Do you not trust me?//

Yugi’s eyes widened hearing what his darker half had questioned. He sat up and faced him with a hurtful expression. He didn’t want his partner to bear any guilt for causing his current illness. He knew none of this was because of a lack of faith nor were any of his negative emotions caused by the spirit of the Puzzle.

“That’s not it.” Yugi whispered.

Yami opened his eyes and looked over at the smaller boy.

“I do trust you.” Yugi continued. “I have forgiven you.”

Yami felt relieved when the teen’s words left his mouth. He was glad Yugi placed confidence in him and forgave him after everything they’ve been through. However, he frowned upon remembering the condition of his partner.

“Then what is bothering you?” Yami questioned. “Surely whatever problems you have we can face together.”

Yugi glanced down at his bed sheets. “ _Together…_ ”

After a moment of silence, he whispered, “No… I can’t.”

“Why not? Yugi, I’m only here to try and help you… Is this a problem that you wish to speak only with your other friends?”

“N-no…”

“Then what is it? Yugi, can’t you speak to someone about this?”

“No! I can’t!”

“Yugi, you’re worrying your family, friends, and me.”

“I know that!”

“Then can’t you at least say what’s on your mind? Can you let me in? Can we please talk about this?”

“I just can’t!”

“But Yugi—”

“Yami, there is a time when people act together and become stronger. Our unity and friendship have been able to overcome anything… We stood by each other’s side… You helped me when I wanted to rescue my grandpa from Pegasus. Joey was there for me even after being brainwash by Malik. I was there for you during Battle City and our fight against Dartz… But…

“But there are times in everyone’s life… in my life…where we have to take a journey alone.”

Yami only stared at his lighter half with awe. He understood what the boy had stated was true. He, however, never expected to hear those words from Yugi Muto. Perhaps no one did.

“ _I can’t talk about this_ ,” Yugi had wanted to say but couldn’t. “ _If I do… then you’ll be sad… I want you to remember who you were… but I don’t want you to leave me… I… I don’t want to be alone again…_ ”

The teen’s stomach churned with agony. He wrapped his arms around his waist as he scrunched his face together in pain.

//Yugi!// Yami called out anxiously. He placed one phantom hand on the teen’s shoulder to show his presence and concern.

Slowly, the discomfort left Yugi’s body. Tiredly, he placed his fatigued body back down on his mattress. He turned himself onto his side with his back against his worried friend. He opened his eyes partway as tears fell down his cheeks. Despite the emotional pain, throughout their time together, he had learned how to keep certain actions and feelings to himself so he would not worry his companion, who was also a spirit within his body.

“ _Is that selfish of me for not wanting you to leave? But… but I don’t want to be your chain that’s pulling you down… so I can‘t tell you_.”

Yugi allowed his body and mind to be consumed by exhaustion as he fell back asleep.

The older boy picked up the younger boy’s soul remaining strenuous, but he allowed Yugi to rest.

The teen was asleep into the night. The moonlight from his window shined through. The light reflected gently off his cherubic face, causing shadows among his blond bangs.

“ _Yugi… what is bothering you?_ ” Yami questioned. “ _I want to help you… I can’t stand to see you like this… Your friends and family worry about you… I’m worried about you. Is that so wrong of me?_ ”

He tried to recall what the adolescent had said earlier.

“ _But what did you mean? What journey is it that we all need to walk alone?_ ”

Flashback

Yugi sat in a hospital bed with his deck scattered around. He had recently spent his time receiving treatment for his burns he gained while in the abandoned warehouse before the start of Battle City. His friends had stopped by to visit earlier and promised to be back the next day.

The teen stared at his Duel Monsters cards with admiration, glad his cards have never failed him before. He was, however, filled with sorrow he needed to construct a new deck.

“Why do we need to add new cards?” Yugi questioned his friend who appeared in his transparent state.

“We need to secure a powerful deck in order for us to stand up to any villain.” Yami explained truthfully. “Everyone already knows about our strategy and cards we used in Duelist Kingdom against Pegasus. We need new combinations between magic and monster cards, as well as design new traps for our future opponents.”

Yugi closed his eyes and sighed. He did not want to say farewell to all his cards he had created a bond with.

“Saying goodbye is too hard,” he mumbled as he had grown attached to certain monsters.

“This may be goodbye,” Yami tried to reason, “but this is also us creating a new deck and meeting new monsters.”

“I guess,” Yugi agreed as a tiny smile grew across his face.

The two friends spent some time looking over new cards and possible strategy. They needed to decide upon which ones to keep and which ones to add, which proved difficult. A proper deck needs balance between monsters, magic, and trap cards. The deck also needs harmony from the powerful monsters to lower level monsters with special effects.

Just then, Yugi started to hack a painful cough.

“Yugi!” Yami called out with concern. He remembered the boy’s lung had nearly filled with hot smoke from the fire but risked his life to save his friend.

“I’m fine,” Yugi answered hoarsely.

Carefully, Yami examine his partner. The young adult appeared well, but his road to recovery would take a while. Because no immediate danger lied anywhere, the construction for the new deck could wait.

“I think we should call this a night.” Yami stated. “We can finish in the morning when you have gained a proper night of rest.”

Yugi closed his eyes and sighed. He did not want to fall back asleep into darkness. He was too afraid the spirit would disappear.

“Y-Yami.” Yugi called nervously.

The pharaoh smiled as he felt the boy’s fear.

“I promise I’m not going anywhere,” he stated with confidence as he understood.

“Ok,” Yugi whispered as he allowed himself to drift off into his sleep.

End flashback

Yami returned to reality noticing his partner tossing and turning in his sleep. A look of complete terror plastered itself on his innocent face. The spirit quickly figured out his light was suffering from a nightmare. He tried to call out Yugi’s name with no results.

“Please!” Yugi begged in his sleep. “Don’t go! Don’t leave me!”

The dark spirit grew baffled why Yugi was yelling such phrases.

“ _What type of nightmare is this?_ ” Yami pondered perturbed. “ _Who is it that is leaving him?_ ”

Over time the adolescent would suffer different nightmares. Sometimes there were merely little scary ideas that were common, such as falling into an endless pit, while others involved telling the future. Regardless of what type the nightmares were, the two would talk about it only to realize nothing needed to be feared. Whenever the frightening dream was foretelling a doomed future, the two friends promised to solve the problem and face the villain together. Yami was determined to awake his partner out his anxiety in his sleep.

//Yugi! Wake up!// he tried once more.

“I don‘t want to be alone again!” Yugi screamed with fear that pierced through the cold air.

Yami’s eyes enlarged. He wanted to know what exactly Yugi meant. He tried even harder to wake up the boy.

//Yugi! It’s just a dream! Wake up!//

After waiting for so long to the sound of the teen whimpering, he saw Yugi finally unlocked his pupils. Tears streamed down Yugi’s face as he inhaled and exhaled rapidly. He had woken up from the same nightmare he had already suffered through earlier. He coughed, and his whole body ached, as though he was in some sort of physical accident.

//Yugi,// Yami tried to reach in a calming tone. //It’s ok.//

The young adult with the puppy dog eyes remained shaken even after taking a few moments to calm down. His eyes overflowed with fear and deep anxiety.

//It’s ok,// Yami tried to sooth. //The nightmare is over.//

Tears reformed and rushed down Yugi’s cheeks. He buried his face into his legs he pulled together towards himself as he cried in terror, “No… it’s not.”

Yami became confused about what his lighter half meant.

//Yugi,// he called gently. //Everything will be all right.//

“No!” Yugi screamed with anger and anxiety. “Everything is not all right!”

Yami turned stunned about what his lighter half was yelling.

In between sobs, the teen whispered, “The nightmare isn’t over…It’s… it’s just beginning.”

Yami’s eyes widened once more. Before he had time to ask, a bright light flashed.

“Yugi!” Yami yelled as he reached for his partner.

When the powerful glimmer diminished, the spirit saw the boy fell safely on his back sleeping, but a new problem had arrived. The older boy quickly noticed how flushed Yugi appeared. He was also wheezing in his sleep. Yami concluded from his time with Yugi in the past the young adult was now suffering from a fever.

“Yugi,” Yami whispered as he could only watch his partner deal with a new issue.

* * *

Yugi found himself walking around what appeared to be a forest. Many trees surrounded the area, and a clean sky rested above. A crystal clear lake was also by his side. He looked at himself and noticed he kept on his pajamas. He placed one hand on his forehead and felt no other physical illness.

“Where am I?” he questioned puzzled.

**To be continued…**


	5. Connections

**Chapter 5: Connections**

Yami watched helplessly as Yugi slept in pain. His breathing turned rough, and his skin became paler. He also appeared frightened. However, the darker half of the ill boy was not willing to only stand by.

//Yugi, can you hear me?// he tried to contact his partner through their mind link. //Yugi? Are you all right?//

Despite the dutiful attempt, he received no reply. He narrowed his eyes and clinched his fists together tightly as he could only wait and see if the younger boy would recover soon.

He sighed and took a seat on the boy’s chair. Hunching over and lacing his fingers across his face, he pondered about Yugi’s nightmare that occurred earlier. He grew puzzled about the phrases the teen shouted in agony. They repeated in his mind.

He wondered who was leaving him. Everyone he knew who was part of Yugi’s group was still here. None of the teen’s friends or relatives was dying, and no immediate danger involving evil magic showed.

Now the young Yugi was asleep with his already afflicted body fighting against an illness. But his mind and soul remained restless.

Yami feared his partner may suffer from further torment with horrific visions during his sleep.

“ _Yugi… please be safe_.”

* * *

Yugi continued walking through his new area. He did not know how he arrived but noticed he kept on his pajamas. Staring down at his sleeves, he did not understand why he remained in that other than that was what he wore last before falling asleep. He looked up and witnessed the sky around him turned gray. The wind rushed by, causing him to feel a bleak chill throughout his entire body.

“Where am I?” he asked himself, observing his surroundings. He reached down in front of his chest in hopes of clinging to his precious treasure for both comfort and reassurance. To his surprise, no pendant laid around his neck.

“Where’s the Puzzle!?” Yugi shrieked, becoming scared. He panicked but calmed himself down as he attempted to contact his darker half, //Yami? Are you there?//

However, he received no response. He felt no connection with the older boy. He felt completely alone, a familiar emotion that he no longer desired to bear.

“Yami! Can you hear me!?” he tried once more in desperation.

At that moment, a strong, burning sensation emitted from his left arm. He grasped his arm in pain as he knelt down on the soft, emerald green grass. Pulling down his sleeve, he gasped in shock. On his arm stood five slashes in a perfect line with an even separation from each other, like a loose leaf line paper.

“Where did these come from!?” Yugi yelled, scared and confused. Tracing his finger around the marks, he became relieved they were not deep. He turned baffled why they grew on his arm. He did not recall any times where he fell and received bruises. He also had no contact with any sharp objects recently.

“What does this mean?”

He gathered as much strength as he could and stood up. Looking around, he found a door a few steps away. He walked closer and observed it. The gateway carried a dull silver color and was far taller than he was. It was not at all fancy, and the only decoration that caught his eyes was a star on top of the door.

“What is that?” Yugi asked himself out loud, unsure what he should do. He debated if he should walk around further to see where he was or take a chance and step through the door. Reaching for the handle, he stopped.

He had no idea what lied on the other side. He didn’t know if the door in front of him was a way into a deeper world or an exit to the one he was in. Pulling his hand away, he decided to keep walking and exploring rather than risking falling into an endless pit of despair.

He strolled over towards the lake. The cold gray water reflected the bitter sky above. He took a seat on the soft grass and brought his legs close to him. He hugged them tightly. He looked over himself in his still reflection.

The water remained calm, and there appeared no signs of life in the lake or woods. No sounds emitted from anywhere other than a gentle breezed that passed by. Yugi watched as his gold bangs swept gently across his face in his reflection. He observed his features, such as his puppy dog eyes and small mouth.

He had no connection with anyone.

He felt lonely.

He couldn’t stand the dreadful emotion.

He didn’t want to feel the frozen experience anymore.

“ _If I’m going to find out where I am and find Yami_ ,” he told himself confidently, “ _then I’m going to need to do something._ ”

He decided to take action. He figured his other half was permitting all he could to reunite with him.

Quickly, Yugi stood up and marched back towards the door with the single star on top. His mind questioned what lied behind the mysterious gateway. Reaching for the handle once more, he remembered what he had preached to Yami of people needing to take journeys on their own two feet. He wondered if this was part of his journey.

“ _I really wish Yami was here with me_.” he thought dejectedly. “ _But I may need to do this on my own… I won‘t get anywhere if I don‘t try_.”

He took a big breath and opened the door. Before entering, he cautiously looked in but could not see anything. Gathering as much courage as he could, he stepped in.

“ _I didn’t fall_ ,” he noted. He took another step. Nothing appeared. Continuing on, the door shut quietly behind him. He looked back and observed his eyes had adjusted to the new, darker lighting.

He looked ahead to see a single beam of light shining. Carefully, he walked closer towards the light. Coming into view, he saw on the floor were ten cards flipped upside down as well as an old fashion mini hour class with white sand.

“What is this?” he wondered with curiosity. “It looks like a set up for the game, Concentration.”

Just then, a familiar, burning sensation emitted from his left arm. Scrunching his face in pain, he gripped his arm with his right hand firmly, attempting to put out the flame-like pain. He noticed he only felt one burn. Opening one eye, he pulled down his sleeve and saw the first cut on his arm radiated a faint, pink glow.

“What’s… going on?” Yugi questioned as the pain slowly diminished.

He knelt down on the floor and observed the objects placed in front of him. The game Concentration was something he had always enjoyed when he was younger, namely because it could be played with one player.

“ _The object of the game is to find as many pairs as possible_ ,” he remembered. “ _And I always tried to challenge myself to break my old record for finding as many pairs before time ran out_.”

He was tempted to flip the hourglass and start the game. However, he did not know if the pieces belonged to anyone. He did not want to get scolded by the person who owned the set.

“ _But I haven’t seen anyone_ ,” he debated with himself. “ _Maybe I can get things moving… if I try playing this game_.”

He knelt on the ground. He grabbed the hourglass and flipped it upside down.

“Game start,” he announced bravely. He merely pointed at his card of choice, and without even touching it, the card flipped over.

“What?” he questioned with awe. A picture of a smiley face was printed on it. He then pointed to another card that had an image of a pair of ballet shoes.

“No match,” he observed with attraction.

The two cards quickly flipped over by themselves.

“That sure was… interesting.” he remarked. He pointed towards two more pairs.

One image was the Millennium Puzzle while the other was Red Eyes Black Dragon. Yugi’s eyes enlarged upon seeing the artwork. The Puzzle was his most precious material treasure as it contained his connection with the dark spirit and friend. The dragon was a card his blonde companion had won at Duelist Kingdom that showed his skills as a duelist against a well-known champion. Before he could say anything, the cards quickly returned upside down.

“Guess that wasn’t a match either.”

He looked over at his timer and agreed to keep on trying. He decided to choose two cards he had yet to see. One image was a victory hand sign, and the other was Tristan. The two cards glowed then vanished.

“What was that!?” he shouted completely shocked. He never expected to see his friends on the cards. He recalled his tall companion with the brunette hair was always cheering on his comrades while having a strong, courageous spirit.

“What kind of game is this!? Are any of my other friends behind these!?”

He quickly touched as many cards as he could. However, the only two cards to respond were the first two he touched. To his surprise but correct theory, one picture was Tea and the other was Yami.

Yugi paused and remembered the other images he saw in the beginning. They appeared to be just illustrations of normal ideas. Despite that, when he had chosen his pal Tristan and the hand sign for victory, a match was made. He now only had eight more to complete.

“ _Maybe there’s some sort of the connection between all of these options_ ,” Yugi deducted. He decided to pick two cards he knew were behind them. He chose Tea and the smiley face as he figured the two matched well in reality. To his dismay, that was not a couple. He couldn’t help but feel his own heart sank.

He sighed and looked over towards the hourglass. He noticed he needed to quicken his pace before all of the white sand shuffled down to the bottom. Deciding to try another idea, he chose the two cards that had Yami and the Millennium Puzzle.

“Guess that’s a match.”

He was now down to six pairs. He remembered the image of one of his first choices. Choosing Tea and the ballet shoes, he saw the two cards glowed and vanished.

“ _Tristan and the victory sign was a match … so was Yami and the Puzzle… Tea and the ballet shoes… There was a smiley face and a Red Eyes Black Dragon… Does that mean Joey is also behind one of these cards? And if so, then who is a match with the smiley face?_ ”

To his luck, a pair was formed between Joey and that Duel Monster. Just like before, the two cards shined then disappeared. Yugi was left with two cards. He knew one was a smiley face, and the other was someone else. His mind tried to figure out who had a connection with the happy symbol. He glanced up and saw he only had a few grains of sand left before the game was over.

“Guess I’m not beating my old record,” he sighed as he chose his last pair. The first card to turn over was the smiley face he knew, but the other image caused his heart to almost skip a beat: The other image was himself.

“What!?” Yugi yelled stunned.

The two cards disappeared, and the game was over. The last few grains had stopped falling in midair, as though time had stopped.

Yugi stared at the floor perplexed. He understood about his friends and their cards: Tea held a dream of studying dance, Yami was the spirit of the Puzzle, Tristan had always given a helping hand, and Joey had his pride with the dragon.

Yugi did not understand the connection between himself and the smiley face. His concentration was interrupted upon feeling a strange sensation on his left arm. He pulled down his sleeve and saw his fist cut had slowly disappeared.

“What?” he questioned puzzled.

A bright light flashed. His eyes were drawn to the door he had entered through. He walked over towards the gateway and opened it. He stepped through and saw he was back to where he started. He exited the room and the door vanished.

“What was that all about?” he asked out loud.

* * *

Yami continued with the endless task of watching over the teen. He observed Yugi’s breathing stayed deep but not as rough as before. Even if he did have a body of his own, the pharaoh would have chosen to not budge from his spot. He would spend eternity by his companion’s side even if the young adult was bedridden for the rest of his life.

Earlier in the morning, Yugi’s mother came in and placed a cool cloth over her son’s forehead. She left and allowed the boy to rest. Yami immediately noticed the worried expression on her face.

He drew his attention towards the smaller boy. He had only wanted to assist his partner onto the road of recovery by having the teen talk about his problem. Despite hearing the kind plea, the teen pushed away the dark spirit.

“ _Why did he do that_ ,” he pondered.

For a brief moment, the teen appeared to be in even more pain.

//Yugi!// Yami tried to contact. But as he did, the smaller boy continued on with his sleep. He appeared less in pain but remained frighten.

“ _Yugi_ ,” Yami thought as he knelt down to the ground closer to the boy’s mattress.

Just then, a man with a brown complexion wearing a turban and a light tan robe appeared in the room.

“Shadi,” Yami gasped as he stood up. He did not know what business the man had but listened attentively to any information that seemed to be important; the man only came around in times of crisis. His heart beat with anticipation. He worried his own uneasy thoughts and emotion may disturb the young teen through their connection, but the small boy still slept.

“This is no ordinary illness,” explained the man with hollow blue eyes.

“What do you mean?” Yami questioned. To him, it appeared Yugi only had a fever and a stomachache. He did not understand what more could be wrong with his partner.

“This is another test from the Puzzle.” Shadi explained in an even tone. “To see if the one named Yugi can truly handle the powers hidden within the Puzzle as well as to find your memories.”

“But Yugi was the one who solved it!” Yami pointed out. “He and I had faced our enemies together and won… Surely he has been tested enough.”

There was a moment of silence between the two.

“The souls of people change over time,” Shadi continued. “Some turn good while others become evil.”

Yami grew insulted as he interrupted, “Are you saying Yugi became corrupted? How could that be!? His soul has not been destroyed by the Shadows!”

“It is true you and the soul of the boy hold a great bond,” Shadi agreed. “But the Shadows also judge those harshly with weak hearts. Perhaps the Chosen One will allow his own personal fears to interject with his and your destiny.”

“What!?” Yami questioned in disbelief. He glanced at the floor. He could not understand why his partner would allow himself to stop his journey and purpose in life. He then realized something important: Yugi had always called the Puzzle his second heart.

“Could Yugi not be strong without my heart as well?” Yami whispered forlornly. He would draw his courage from the young boy in times of trouble. He did not want to part from the boy he had grown a bond with.

“Isn’t there anything I can do?” he finally asked, wanting to assist in his friend’s time of need.

“Your friendship has pulled you both out of difficult situations,” Shadi stated with his usual blank expression. “Perhaps it can be the key to finding a way to defeat the Shadows.”

“Is there a way for me to enter the Shadow Game?” Yami questioned.

“There is a possibility,” the man answered.

Yami listened carefully.

“I can take you into the world, but because the game is set for one player, the boy who placed together the Puzzle, no one else may enter the playing field.”

Yami nodded as he understood and accepted the terms.

Shadi lifted up the Key around his neck and placed the smaller end on the sleeping boy’s forehead. A bright glow formed, and the two men found themselves within a compact hallway.

“Yugi!” Yami called out seeing shadows surrounding his partner’s soul room.

“Dread cautiously,” Shadi advised.

Yami carefully took a step towards the giant dome that covered his partner’s Soul Room. Just as he was about to enter, he witnessed another bright flash of white light molding.

“What’s going on!?” Yami bellowed confused.

Shadi’s eyes widened for a moment, caught off guard as well.

The pharaoh turned around and saw only he was being consumed by the radiant.

“What is this!?” he yelled with anxiety.

The man with the blue eyes returned to his normal, stoic composition.

“The Puzzle wishes to show you something,” Shadi informed as the last bits of the dark spirit was swallowed whole.

“Yugi!” Yami yelled.

* * *

All the students at Domino High were enjoying their break in between classes. Tea, however, stared out into the ceiling as her mind drew elsewhere. She worried deeply about her friend; she hadn’t visited him as the group was informed he had been asleep at the time. She could only hope she could see him today. She hoped he was better.

“Don’t worry so much,” Tristan assured towards the girl.

“Yeah,” Joey agreed. “We’ll just try and see him after school. And if not, then we’ll toss him out of bed!”

The two boys were arm-wrestling each other.

Tea heard what her two companions said, but she still couldn’t help but be anxious. Within her mind were memories from long ago. She recalled Yugi hadn’t been this ill in a while. She really wanted to visit him and ensure he was emotionally stable.

“Yugi, wait for us,” she prayed quietly.

* * *

Yugi looked around once more. He wondered if the game he had played was a waste of time. He pulled down his sleeve once more and saw that there were only four cuts on his arm. Before, there were five.

“What now?” he questioned lost.

**To be continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: the next chapter will be very, very dark.


	6. Repressed Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Chapter contains graphic bullying and moments of depression.

**Warning: Chapter contains graphic bullying and moments of depression**.

**Chapter 6: Repressed Memories**

Yugi sat in front of the lake hugging his knees.

The sky remained a dark gray color, and the water continued to show no signs of life. The teen was curious if he had returned to his original starting point, but he noticed only four cuts stayed on his wrist. He still had no idea how he obtained them, nor did he understand the purpose behind them.

He reflected on the previous game he played. While being accustomed to playing with a traditional deck of cards, or cards made specifically for the game Concentration, he had turned perplex how the images of his friends and who they were or what they like were made into touchable objects.

He was distracted by that and nearly lost.

“How odd I lost my focus in a game called Concentration…” Yugi chuckled cheerlessly at the irony.

* * *

A bright light faded around the dark spirit.

Yami scanned his whereabouts. The last thing he remembered was Shadi telling him about his partner’s situation and the Puzzle wanting to show him something.

“ _What is the Puzzle trying to tell me?_ ” he pondered. He became skeptical where he was.

Gazing around, he saw old boxes of action figures and game boards. Below him was a floor with large green tiles. To his sides were shelves holding a few modeling kits. In front of him was a glass case with puzzles and a cash register resting on top. He soon realized he was in the Turtle Game shop. Normally the store was dripping with posters, card cases, and toys of various Duel Monsters, but none were found. The spirit looked around in order to find his lighter half. He heard noises coming from the room closet to the shop. Entering the den, he saw a small boy with tri-color hair on a couch.

“Yugi!” Yami called out with joy. He raced towards his light, but his heart sank when the boy did not respond. Yami tried once more to say his partner’s name, but still the boy did not reply.

He briskly walked around to earn a better view of Yugi, but he quickly learned something was not right. He understood he was transparent upon seeing objects and his surroundings right through him. Coming closer, he saw Yugi appeared shorter. The boy also wore a snow shirt with raven pants instead of his normal sapphire uniform. He held a deep depressed expression on his very younger looking face.

Soon, Yami heard voices coming from the room next from where he was. He listened carefully as one of the voices sounded familiar.

“I think it might be best if I take this promotion,” one person said as the sound of a door closing soon followed.

“But then you’ll be gone most of the time,” the other one replied.

Yami quickly pieced together the second voice belonged to Solomon Muto.

“I know,” the first man agreed. “But the shop hasn’t been doing so well, has it?”

“Sad to say, no. I‘m hoping something new will come along and will help boost people‘s interest… Have you talked to your wife about this?”

“Yes, she understands. I know she feels guilty for going into the hospital for being quite ill. I need to accept this promotion in order to help pay bills. Thankfully she‘s back home and feeling well.”

“And what about Yugi? Have you told him about this?”

“Yes… He’s older now, so hopefully he can understand why I won’t be around as often.”

Yami’s eyes widened. He glanced back towards Yugi. The younger boy continued to sit on the couch with a gloomy look upon his face.

“ _His mother was in the hospital_ _?_ ” the spirit reflected sadly. “ _And now his father is leaving? …. Then this must mean… I’m in Yugi’s memories_ …”

Yami learned the reason he could not be seen by anyone. He only existed in pieces that belonged to a puzzle that had yet to be placed together. For the time now he was not fully conscious, and Yugi was not his partner. His concentration was interrupted when the two men walked into the same room as the boy.

“Yugi,” the taller, younger man called out.

The child lifted his head to see his father.

The man smiled a gentle one as he said, “I need you to be strong while I’m gone, all right?”

The child only nodded his head.

“Here,” the man walked over towards his son and handed the boy some cash. “Why don’t you go ahead and buy yourself lunch.”

Yugi rejected the offer and informed stubbornly, “I don’t need it. I can make my own lunch.”

Both men couldn’t help but be a bit amused.

“Bringing a banana isn’t really a lunch.” Solomon tried to reason. “I don’t think it’ll hold you down until dinner.”

“But—” the child tried to argue before his father stepped in, “No more. Just take this. Go ahead and treat yourself.”

“Ok,” the child finally accepted.

“I’ll drop you off,” the man offered as he continued to smile.

Yugi reached for his bag beside him and left with his father.

A sudden flash of light sparked. Yami shield his eyes with his hands. When the radiance dimmed, he was in a completely new area; a place he had never seen before. There was a white building with many windows, but it was not as vast as the high school he was accustomed to. He quickly saw many students passing by with the boys wearing white shirts and black pants while the girls wore white blouses and black skirts. Yami figured out the area he was in was a school, but it was not Domino High School.

He quickly searched around to find his partner. He soon saw a child with tri-color hair surrounded by other students who were taller and stronger. Yami sensed something was wrong. Quickly, he followed the boys.

Yugi was reluctantly led into the boy’s restroom. He appeared afraid but knew he could nothing. He was shoved by one of the students. He fell and hit the floor.

“Hey!” Yami called as his eyes narrowed. He couldn’t stand witnessing anyone beat an innocent child.

He tried to stop the older student, but the whole group simply had passed through the former pharaoh. Yami stared at his hands. He remembered this was only a memory, so he could not take any action. He could only watch in sorrow as Yugi struggled to stand up only to be knocked down once more.

“That’s enough, boys,” an arrogant voice called out.

Yami glared towards an older pupil who could clearly be seen as not only a bully but the leader of the group of mean kids.

“What have you got for me today, Yugi,” the same ring leader ordered more so than asked.

The small boy wobbled as he struggled to stand. He pulled out of his bag a banana he had packed earlier.

“This… is all I have…” he whispered as his hands shook.

The haughtily smile on the tallest boy faded. He yelled out annoyed, “This is it!?”

“I’m sorry,” the smallest child whimpered.

The angered boy slapped the canary fruit out of Yugi’s hands, and the child only winced in pain.

“Not the best choice,” the boss stated in frustration. He snapped his fingers, and the other boys gathered around Yugi.

They grabbed the defenseless child by his shoulders and dragged him into a stall.

“No!” Yugi screamed as he tried to break free. However, his actions turned vain as the bigger students successfully hulled the weak student in.

They thrust him on his knees and forced his head into the toilet.

“Stop! Please!” Yugi begged, trying to keep his head out of the bowl. “I promise to bring something better!”

“Do it,” the head of the bullies ordered.

The child with the tri-color hair was jammed into the water with one of the boys pulling down the silver handle of the toilet. Yami could only watch in agony as his younger light suffered from the hands of his tormentors. The boy gasped for air when he resurfaced from the filthy water. He fell to the floor and coughed as he tried to clear his lungs.

The group of misfits only laughed as they walked away.

Yugi allowed several tears to fall off his face as he lied on the dirty floor with tainted water around him.

Yami raced quickly towards his fallen friend. He wanted to comfort the child, but he only went through the boy’s body.

“Yu… gi,” Yami choked as he witnessed a horrific event within the memories of the boy he had watched over.

The pre-teen struggled to stand up. He placed his arms on the seat of the wet toilet only to slide off and bang his head against the white top. He tried again once more and was successful. Rubbing his injured area, he walked towards the sink to wash off the sordid water.

He looked up at his reflection. His hair was messy; his gold bangs flopped in front of his childish face. His puppy dog eyes were watery, and his nose had snot hanging out. Immediately, he looked away, embarrassed and ashamed to see himself.

Again, a flash of light kindled, and Yami now stood in a classroom, but it was smaller than what he was adapted to. He saw Yugi and a younger version of Tea eating their lunch. Yami smiled seeing Yugi was already grinning despite what happened to him.

“Thanks for buying.” Tea smiled with gratitude. “I can’t believe I was such a dork and forgot to bring my money!”

“It happens to all of us,” Yugi laughed with empathy.

Tea continued on with eating her food she had been given.

Yugi took another bite of his peanut butter cracker but went on with looking at his female friend. He closed his eyes for a moment and blushed.

“Is there something wrong?” Tea asked.

“Oh… um,” Yugi struggled to find the correct words that he wanted to say. “Well actually… there’s something I’d like to ask…”

“What is it,” the girl questioned. “Is it about paying you back?”

“Oh, no,” the boy answered. “Don’t worry about that… It’s… about something else.”

Yami couldn’t help but chuckle. He had an idea of what the smaller Yugi wanted. He smiled as he encouraged, “ _Come on, Yugi, you can do this_.”

“Tea… um… I was wondering…” Yugi began nervously. “Since… since we’re almost in high school… and… and if you’re not busy this weekend… Do… do you think… do you think we could… hang out?”

“You mean at the arcade like old times?” Tea guessed.

“Well… no… more like…as… a…” As the child continued to find his words, his face turned even redder.

Yami couldn’t help but smile. Although the child was bullied and had suffered with family problems, he at least had his loyal friend.

Yugi tried to continue for the words he wanted his heart to say pass his trembling lips, “Like a… da—”

“Uh, Tea,” a different voice demonstrating exasperation called out.

The two friends turned to see three girls, all wearing plastic jewelry and their hair in fashionable styles, waiting in a doorway wanting to speak with the young girl.

“We need to talk,” another student ordered more so than requested.

Tea stood up from her desk and walked towards the edge of the room. She and the group pulled away into the empty hallway. Despite being at a distant, the voices that spoke were easily within hearing range.

“What are you doing with that Yugi kid?” one of the girls demanded to know.

“What are you talking about?” Tea asked confused. “I forgot my lunch, and he bought me some food. So what?”

“Don’t you know you won’t be popular if you hand out with that Yugi,” another girl questioned.

“Popularity? Who cares about that?” Tea argued.

“You should,” the third voice stated. “Why else do you think you were voted class president? Besides, that Yugi is _so_ unlikable. All he does is just sit alone and play his dumb games.”

“What’s wrong with that?” Yugi’s loyal companion yelled, becoming annoyed by her so called friends.

“Even the boys aren’t interested in playing _those_ types of games,” the first girl pointed out. “And since they aren’t interested, we shouldn’t be. How can you expect to have a cool boyfriend if all you do is hang out with that loser who has no friends?”

Tea grew silent. She didn’t have any response towards the mean students.

Yami’s eyes widened. He snapped his head over towards Yugi.

The boy hung his head with his bangs covering his features. Just like Yami, he overheard everything the female students had just said. He gathered up his materials and placed them in his bag.

Tea walked into the room with an angry look on her face. The emotion faded seeing her friend was leaving.

“Yugi?” Tea called. “Where are you going?”

Before he left the room, Yugi turned around and smiled.

“I… have other stuff to do,” he informed casually. “You can go ahead and finish up the snacks.”

Tea became quite.

The boy left the classroom, but once he stepped out into the hallway, he took off running.

Yami quickly chased after the boy, which eventually led him into a restroom. The student was alone in the room, and Yami saw even more tears slid down his hurt face.

“She… she shouldn’t have to put up with that.” Yugi sobbed to himself. “If she wants to be happy… if she wants to be popular…if she wants to continue on with being class president…if…if she wants a cool boyfriend…then… I’ll let her.”

The boy fell to his knees to cry.

Yami walked up towards his light but suddenly stopped. A sharp pain emerged from his chest. He gripped his shirt to ease the throbbing, but he grew puzzled as to why he was feeling such ache. His eyes enlarged hearing Yugi’s voice even though nothing came out of his mouth.

“ _No, Tea, you’re not the dork; I am… I’m the one who likes to play childish games… I’m the one without… friends… I’m sorry I can’t be cool_.”

The word _friend_ pierced Yugi’s and Yami’s heart like sharp knife against a soft loaf of bread.

“ _Wait… even though I didn’t exist… even though this is a memory… am I still connected with Yugi?_ ” Yami pondered. He then realized what he was feeling was Yugi’s heart breaking.

Tears plunged down the spirit’s face as well. He always wondered why his partner never had the courage to tell his feelings towards the girl he cared about so much. He understood Yugi was still afraid he wasn’t what Tea was looking for or that he was not good enough for her.

A flash of light stirred, but Yami did nothing, and he allowed himself to once again be consumed. He knew he was outside Yugi’s old school. Many children were leaving and heading straight home.

Yami hurriedly raced towards his young partner as Yugi walked alone. The child looked down at a piece of paper and retained his look of depression on his face. Yami peered over and saw what seemed to be Yugi’s report card. To his surprise, the boy’s grades were low. He remembered Yugi had always tried to study and get his homework done, but he wasn’t perfect. He and his friends would have study parties on days before any huge tests were taken.

Yami stopped walking for a moment. He did not understand as to why his partner’s grades were low other than he had no one else to study with. He quickened his pace and continued to walk along the boy’s side even if Yugi could not see him.

“ _So he’s made it this far_ …” Yami observed. He became impressed Yugi had survived something as horrific as these events, yet he knew this was only the past and nothing more could be done.

A part of him was relived the school day was over, but his heart still ached over the agony his light underwent. He soon feared that the young Yugi experienced this much pain every day before the completion of the Puzzle. The young boy walked straight home without saying goodbye to anyone. There was no one for him to say, “See you tomorrow,” or any similar friendly departure.

The boy only had to cross the park that wasn’t too far from his house when tragedy struck once more.

“Hey, Yugi,” a familiar, evil voice called out.

Yami noticed Yugi’s body trembled in pure terror. Soon, the young student was surrounded once more by the same group of misfits.

“What do you want?” Yugi wanted to know. He had already given the bullies his small lunch, so he really had nothing left to offer. School was over, and he had assumed his torture for the day was over.

Two boys made room for their horrible leader.

Yugi’s eyes enlarged with fear seeing the same ring leader that had ordered for his head to sink into the toilet.

“Heard from my girlfriend you bought Tea some lunch,” the tall boy said as he lit up a cigarette.

“What of it?” Yugi asked, trying to sound brave.

Yami felt his partner’s heart waver between his feelings for Tea and the fear of having courage in front of boys that could easily beat up him up.

“You only handed me my banana,” the boy said as he inhaled a breath of smoke. “I could really use that money.”

“For your nasty habit,” Yugi assumed as he eyed the white, smoking stick with disgust. He hoped he never would develop the unhealthy habit, the same one that took his grandma away from him.

“Of course,” the student said with his arrogant grin. “I buy mine from some high school students over at Domino High. They think I’m cool.”

Yami once again felt his partner’s heart tear upon hearing the word _cool_.

The boy only sighed as he reluctantly took his leftover change from his pocket.

“Here,” he said passively.

The tall boy strolled towards the small student and took the money with a quick swipe of his greedy hands. The evil ring leader took a step back and nodded his head towards his group.

Before Yugi realized what happened, he was grabbed once more by his shoulders. The nails from the students pieced through his shirt, and he yelled in pain.

“I… I gave you the money,” Yugi grunted, trying to show courage.

“But not all of it,” the boy informed, casually tapping his cigarette and allowing the burnt ends to fall to the ground. “You spent some for that chick.”

Yami felt anger build up within Yugi.

“Tea isn’t some chick!” he spat valiantly. “She’s way cooler than any of you and your so-called girlfriends!”

Yami felt proud of his small light even while being tormented once more.

But, the master of the mindless boys was not at all happy with what his victim had stated. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

“Let’s see who is cool.”

He snapped his fingers.

With that order, one student punched Yugi in his stomach. The boy gasped in pain as a fist plunged into his abdominal area. He then was smacked across the face with another hit from a different peer member. Blood cascaded down his face as he received another punch from a pupil with a ring on his finger.

“You like that,” he taunted. “I got this from one of my cool girlfriends.”

Another student briskly grabbed Yugi from behind and placed his hands down the back of Yugi’s pants. The child yelled in pain as the same student pulled out half of the boy’s underwear. Yugi then received a hit to the nose and started bleeding. He closed his eyes and gasped for air, waiting anxiously for his torture to end. The only support he had was from the firm, cold grip the two tormentors had on him.

Yami felt helpless watching his small friend receiving a beating once more. He wanted to take action like he had done in the past, but he couldn’t. He clinched his fists together with anger, frustration, and hatred. Although the word _hate_ has been tossed around too often that it had lost its meaning, it was exactly how he felt towards those who harmed his innocent companion.

The pair of bodyguards released the boy, and Yugi dropped to the ground in complete pain while his bullies laughed at him.

“Next time I demand your money and your food,” the boy ordered as he walked up towards his easy victim. “But you’re not smart, so I’ll just get some nerd to do my homework.”

As the last of the words left the boy’s mouth, the ring leader lifted up his foot.

Yugi could only close his eyes in defeat as the boy’s foot gently pushed the child. Down Yugi dropped as the boys laughed once more then left.

Yugi descended to the bottom of the hill, and his body ungratefully passed by many sharp rocks and twigs hidden beneath the crunchy blades of the dead grass. The form stopped as he came to a puddle of water. Tears mixed with mud slide down his face, but he did not have the courage or the strength to open them.

Yami only allowed his own tears to spill down his cheeks as well. His heart tore into pieces watching small Yugi finding the strength to stand up only to slip on the mud. He could see in his view other children running around with their group of friends and classmates. Yami felt the anguish and jealousy emitting from his partner.

The boy only wanted a real friend but was instead given a thrashing from others physically and emotionally. He looked down at his reflection within the little puddle. His hair was messy, his face was covered in mud, and his ample eyes were watery. He shut his pupils with disgust as he splashed away his image. Tears of hatred streamed down his face. However, Yami felt the negative emotion from Yugi was set towards himself rather than the bullies.

The child stood up once more and limp home soaking wet.

* * *

“Yugi!” both an elderly man and young woman with long, maroon hair shouted in shock. They horrifically saw the small child covered in scrapes, bruises, and even a twig in his messed up hair.

“What happened!?” the young lady nearly screamed with anxiety.

“Are you all right,” Solomon asked in a bit more calmer tone so that he would not frighten his grandson.

The child couldn’t find the strength to shake or nod his head. He was not all right, but he was unsure of what he could say. He felt embarrassed, ashamed, worthless, and stupid. He was guided by both his mother and grandfather towards the kitchen where they had him sit on a chair. The old man helped Yugi take off his wet, dirty shirt as his mother helped dry and clean up the wounds.

“What happened,” she asked in a more collective tone.

“I… fell,” Yugi choked, frighten by the events that happened to him.

Although he knew he should have told someone about his problem, he was aware nothing would truly be accomplished. The misfit students would be punished, but they would go back to picking on him. The others would call him a tattle tale and taunt him even more. The boy did not want to hurt his only friend by looking like a fool.

Yugi’s mother quickly dressed the cuts and scrapes as Solomon handed the boy a tissue for his nose. Yugi felt his entire body becoming heavy. He titled his head forward as he placed one hand on his forehead. He moaned in pain.

The woman stood up and placed her hand on her son’s cheek.

“Yugi, you’re burning up,” she gasped while trying to remain calm.

Yugi remained silent. As he stood up from his chair, he tried to take a few steps. And just like that, he passed out and fell to the floor.

“Yugi!” everyone yelled at once.

* * *

The young child was placed into his bed with his whole body aching. He had contracted a terrible fever. He groaned in pain as he tried to keep himself from passing out once more. His breathing was rough, and his skin was even paler than from before.

“I’ll go get some ice,” Solomon said as he left the room.

The young child cried again in both physical and emotional pain.

“ _Am I… really that… worthless_ … _?_ ” he thought to himself in defeat. “ _I’m sorry Dad, Mom, Grandpa… I’m sorry, Tea… I’m sorry for being so… worthless_ …”

Yami watched his young friend, who was now very ill. Tears formed once more on his face.

“Yugi… I am so sorry,” he sobbed as he shut his eyes. “I… I had no idea about how much pain you endured… And now, you’ve become ill once more in the present.”

He dropped to his knees and cried once more.

For the last time, the bright light engulfed him.

He didn’t bother to open his eyes. He understood he had returned in the corridor between his Room and Yugi’s.

“Is it really appropriate for a king to cry?” Shadi asked in a serious tone.

The pharaoh continued to sob over the pain his light had weathered for years before they met. He didn’t care if was royalty in his past life. He didn’t care who saw him shedding tears uncontrollably. He only wanted to embrace his companion and let him know he wasn’t valueless; the boy had meant so much to the dark spirit.

Yami stood up and dried his eyes.

“I will still go,” he declared as he calmed himself down.

“Then the Shadows await you,” the man said before disappearing.

Despite his heart aching overseeing the pain his partner encountered, Yami knew he had to be strong.

He took a deep breath before entering the dark domain.

* * *

In a dark world Yugi stood up from his position. He was in the middle of a game. Earlier he walked around and saw he had an option of either going through a door with two stars or three. He chose the one with three stars.

He stopped playing his game. Tears slid down his cheeks once more. He couldn’t find the courage to speak or the strength to continue.

For an odd reason, memories from his worst day ever entered his mind.

He always wanted to forget those painful words and actions caused by students from his past.

Despite the attempt, those words and actions continued to pierce his heart.

**To be continued…**


	7. Reuniting

**Chapter 7:** **Reuniting**

Yami bravely entered the dark dome. A prickly, eerie chill entered his body. After coming through, he quickly saw a gray sky and emerald grass. Up ahead an icy looking lake stood. He glanced around but did not see anyone. He expected some sort of dangerous game between Yugi and dark magic. However, the entire area appeared peaceful, minus the bitter atmosphere.

“What type of Shadow Game is this?” he wondered as he strolled through. Whenever he participated in a deadly game, someone was always on the line, and the challenge turned unimaginable. Within his view, he spotted a dull, silver door ahead of him. He briskly ran over to see if Yugi was anywhere near. He looked up at the vast gateway and observed three stars on top.

“What does that mean?” he questioned the decoration.

The door opened. Before he could step in, a young boy with tri-color hair fell through the opening and collapsed on the ground while the door sealed itself shut.

“Yugi!” Yami called out with concern and with joy as he finally reached his partner. He lifted the boy up with a sturdy hold.

“Yugi,” Yami said gently as he tried to wake his partner.

The teen opened his eyes and saw a blurry version of the pharaoh.

“Ya… mi…?” he whispered tiredly.

“It’s ok,” the older boy tried to comfort. “I’m here.”

Time stood still as all he wanted to do was to only show his support towards the small child. After seeing those horrific memories from Yugi’s past, he grew restless. He longed to go back in time and defend his friend before any harm could take place. Despite the heroic intention, he knew nothing more could be done.

Before the conversation could continue, Yugi felt a sharp burn from his left arm. He reached for his arm in pain.

“Yugi!” Yami cried.

The teen pulled down his sleeve and saw the third gash on his arm began to bleed.

“Yugi! What happened!?” the spirit asked, alarmed his light was injured

“I… don’t know,” the teen answered honestly.

For a moment, Yami’s eyes were drawn to the clothes Yugi wore.

“ _Why is he in his pajamas?_ ” Yami then noticed he was wearing his charcoal muscle shirt with his usual sapphire pants, an outfit he commonly wore when he was not in control. He then observed neither him nor his partner were wearing the Puzzle.

Just as the spirit was about to say something, Yugi hissed once more in pain. Yami carefully examined the four cuts in a perfect line on Yugi‘s left arm. The second gash from the top had crimson liquid dripping down the boy’s arm.

“Four marks and one is bleeding?” Yami pondered out loud.

“Five,” the smaller boy mumbled as he stood up on his own.

“What?” Yami asked as he looked over towards his partner.

“There were… originally five…” Yugi repeated, looking away with shame.

“Then why are there four now?”

“I’m… not sure… Earlier I was playing a game of Concentration. Time almost ran out, but I guess I won. Then, the first mark on my arm disappeared.”

“And so now there are four left?”

“…yeah…”

“What happened before I found you?”

“I was playing another game…”

“And?”

The small boy turned quiet.

Yami waited patiently to receive an answer, still unsure what type of Shadow Game Yugi was playing. The hardest part of all when it came to Shadow Games was the loser ends up forfeiting himself, even his soul.

“Yugi, what happened?” he repeated worried.

Yugi continued to stare at the ground. He felt embarrassed, ashamed, and stupid. He clinched his hands into tight fists. Negative emotions from long ago stirred his heart.

“Yugi?” the spirit said as he grabbed his lighter half by his shoulders, feeling discomfort emitting from the boy.

“Don’t touch me!” Yugi spat as he slapped away Yami’s hands.

The pharaoh’s eyes widened as he gasped. He became shocked his light treated him in such a manner.

“Yugi—”

“I lost!” Yugi cried out in anger.

“What? What do you mean?”

“I lost! I was in the middle of a game when time ran out!”

“Why? What happened?”

“I got distracted!”

Tears plummeted down the boy’s face. He at once dashed towards the bitter lake. He fell to his knees and cried in angst, remembering what led to his defeat.

He only wanted to forget about those terrible memories and move forward. He believed he was doing well until recently. Despite his brave attempts to always be cheerful and enjoy what he has now, there were times when his memories would pour back in. Fear entered his mind as well.

He prayed deep within his heart he never had to experience the harsh physical beatings nor hear the sharp, cruel words rebuked to him among his peers ever again.

Yami knelt down on the soft, shamrock-colored grass as well. He was about to place his hand on the boy for comfort when he paused. He was unsure if his partner would lash back. Despite the attack, he only wanted to be there for his partner.

“ _You were always so welcoming to everyone in your life, and you received nothing but pain_.” Yami grabbed Yugi and pulled him closer to himself. “ _But isn’t this what you wanted? Someone to comfort you when you cry? Someone to call a friend?_ ”

He allowed Yugi to express his emotions and tears. He did not care his shirt turned wet.

As for Yugi, he was engulfed by depression of memories from long ago that felt fresh. But in the back of his mind, he was glad to have someone care for him in his time of need. He tightened his grip on his darker half, afraid to let go.

“It’s all right,” Yami said soothingly, understanding his light‘s angst. “I’m here. Go ahead and cry.”

Yugi did just that.

* * *

Tea paused from running. She looked up at the clear sky with anxiety. She did not understand but felt something was wrong with her childhood friend.

“Yugi,” she whispered sadly to herself.

Joey and Tristan were not too far ahead of their female companion. When the last bell for school had rang, the three left the place as soon as possible. To each one of them, they sensed their small pal in pain. The sensation they underwent was similar to that of the Shadow Realm over from Duelist Kingdom.

“Hey, Tea,” Joey called out to the girl.

Tea stopped for a moment and looked towards her two friends.

“You go on ahead,” the blonde permitted. “Tristan and I will go get ice!”

Tea nodded and continued on in a steady pace. Arriving at the building, she spotted a sign hanging on the door that read closed. She stepped through the front of the Turtle Game shop with ease.

“Mr. Muto?” Tea called, seeing an elderly man dusting a few shelves. She stood up with her hands in front of her chest, trying to catch her breath. She figured the old man was unable to open the shop with his grandson ill.

“Oh, good afternoon, Tea,” Solomon greeted with a sad smile.

“How is… Yugi?” Tea asked right away.

“Not so well,” the old man answered truthfully. “But now that you’re here, maybe you can help cheer him up. He’s upstairs in his room. You can go on in.”

“Thanks,” Tea replied as she walked over towards the stairs. Before climbing them, she informed, “Joey and Tristan will be here later. They said they went to go get ice.”

She moved up the steps towards her childhood friend’s room. She remembered she found the boy easily when the two were young. Usually she spotted him in his room with game pieces scattered around. Sometimes she would join in, and the two would have an exciting afternoon.

For a moment, everything went dark around the female adolescent. She saw Yugi’s room, but the door appeared very far away. With each step, she felt she was not reaching the floating entranceway. She feared something was keeping her from seeing her friend. She only wanted to be by his side and comfort him and say her usual cheerful phrases that made his heart beat wild with joy for having school companions.

“ _Yugi!_ ” Tea screamed as she moved faster in order to get to the top.

Reaching the door handle, she returned to reality. She turned the faded gold knob and stepped through.

On the mattress slept a small teen with tri-color hair. He had a white, mini towel over his eyes and was breathing heavily.

Tea walked in and took a seat on the boy’s chair. She watched over him with a crestfallen look on her face. As much as she wanted to take action, she could only sit and wait to see when the boy would wake up. She could not tell right away, but a part of her did not agree Yugi was suffering from a normal illness. She deeply believed something else was wrong.

“ _Yugi…_.”

* * *

Yugi remained quiet as his emotions simmered down.

Yami knew he had to tell his partner of the Shadow Game he was playing. Even though the two were enjoying their comforting time with each other, he understood he had to take action.

“Yugi,” he said gently.

Although the small boy did not reply, he was listening. He felt his voice was too shaky to even say a simple response.

“Yugi,” the spirit repeated. “This is all a—”

However, he was cut off. Just as he was about to announce the Shadow Game, he had lost his voice.

“ _Why can’t I speak!?_ ” he pondered alarmed.

The smaller boy pulled away from the older boy and dried his own eyes.

“What was it you were saying?” Yugi asked, feeling slightly better.

“Um… err…” was all Yami could stutter. “ _Wait, can I use my voice?_ ”

Yugi looked up towards his darker half with his shiny, puppy dog eyes.

“Err… feeling well?” Yami managed to think of something to say.

Yugi smiled and answered, “Yes.”

The two of them stood up and looked over the silver sky and area around them. There appeared nothing else left. Yami wondered if the next challenge would just show up or if they were to find it themselves.

“Yami…” the smaller boy called after a brief moment of silence.

The pharaoh looked down towards his lighter half, who stared at the ground with shame.

“What it is?” Yami asked quietly as he placed his hands on Yugi’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry… for slapping you away like that,” the boy said with guilt. “And for yelling at you. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right,” Yami whispered with a warm smile. “Sometimes our emotions drive us to commit acts that appear out of character.”

The older boy looked towards the timber wolf colored lake. He recalled his light was acting different from before he had become ill.

“ _Should I speak with Yugi about what was causing him so much stress?_ ” Yami debated. “ _Or should I wait since he is now participating in a Shadow Game?_ _How can I assist him if I can’t tell him about the Shadow Game?_ ”

At that moment, a door with two stars appeared.

Yami walked closer and examined it.

“ _When I first came in, there was a door with three stars_ ,” he reminded himself. “ _Now this one has two? What could this mean?_ ”

He needed to ask his partner if the boy had any idea about the meaning behind the doors. He turned around and saw Yugi looking away with a look of shame.

“Yugi?” Yami called as he walked back over towards the smaller boy.

Yugi stayed silent; he already knew what lied behind the gateway. A part of him feared entering only to fail once more.

“Yugi, do you know what’s happening?” Yami asked in calmed tone.

The teen shut his eyes and nodded.

“What is it,” the darker half inquired.

“There’s… a game… waiting,” the young adult mumbled.

“A… game?”

“Yes, just like before.”

“Like before?”

Yugi pulled down his sleeve to reveal his marks.

Yami felt his heart skip a beat. He carefully examined the mysterious scars on his partner’s arm.

“There used to be five cuts,” the teen explained. “There was a door with one star. I entered in and played a game of Concentration. I won, and the first cut disappeared. I later saw two doors, one with two stars and the other with three. I entered the one with three stars and played another game.”

He turned quiet.

“And you lost… and the next cut was bleeding?” Yami filled in.

The teen remained silent.

The spirit recognized the emotional distress on his partner’s face. They were the same types of expressions the boy felt after his encounter with his bullies.

“Yugi, what happened before I arrived?” Yami finally asked in a sincere tone.

Yugi tried to remember what took place before he was reunited with his darker half. He sighed as he said, “I’m not sure how I arrived, but I noticed I was still in my pajamas and without the Puzzle. I looked around, and I couldn’t find anyone. I also couldn’t contact you. I felt a burn on my arm and noticed there were five cuts on my arm. There was a door with one star.

“I… wanted to take chance of finding you, so I entered in, and there was a setup for a game of Concentration. I first thought nothing of the pictures on the cards, but then I started to see my friends’ faces on the cards.”

He turned quiet again.

“What happened next? Were there two pictures of them?” Yami asked, interested that the Shadow Game involved images of his light’s companions.

Yugi shook his head. “The first match I had was Tristan and the victory hand signed. I thought maybe Tea would match up with the smiley face since she is so cheerful, but she was paired up with a pair of ballet shoes. There was also a picture of you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah… You were matched with the Millennium Puzzle.”

“Well, I suppose that does make sense.”

“Joey was there, too, and so was his Red Eyes Black Dragon.”

“Was that all?”

Yugi shook his head once more. “The… smiley face I mentioned before… was matched with a picture of me.”

Yami was unsure of what to say; he grew intrigued about the game Yugi mentioned. He wondered why he was paired with the Puzzle and not Yugi. Although he dwelled within the artifact, it was Yugi who solved it, received his wish, and called the upside down gold pyramid his second heart.

“ _Why would the Shadows play a game with Yugi’s friends?_ ” he questioned. “ _How much do the Shadows know? The Shadows can reveal characteristics about the player… Yugi always has a smile on his face and is willing to give his trust to anyone…_ ”

Yami smiled. He pulled Yugi’s chin up and declared proudly, “Sometimes games reveal ourselves to us.”

The adolescent blinked his eyes in confusion.

“Sometimes, we can find out about ourselves in the strategies we use,” Yami explained his view point. “Maybe you were paired with the smiley face as your smile does bring warmness to everyone, like me.”

Yugi couldn’t help but grin.

The happy emotion that emitted from the boy warmed the heart of the spirit. He glanced over towards the door, and his facial expression changed to something somber. He walked back over to the door.

“ _Yugi entered through the door with one star and won. He then entered through a door with three stars and lost_.” he observed. “ _Could the stars mean the level of the game?_ ”

He looked over towards Yugi, who appeared afraid.

“Come on, Yugi,” Yami tried to encourage. “Let’s try and move forward. I‘ll be here by your side.”

Yami opened the door.

Yugi looked over towards his confident partner. Whenever he was around the older boy, he felt he had more courage in his actions. He took in a big breath and stepped through into another room filled with darkness.

Yami was about to enter when something had blocked him.

“Yami!?” Yugi yelled, becoming alarmed.

“I… I can’t step in!” Yami gasped.

The door closed completely.

“Yugi!” Yami bellowed.

On the other side Yugi was all alone.

“Yami!” he screamed. “Where are you!?”

He pulled tightly on the handle with his heart beating rapidly against his chest, but the gateway refused to move.

“No use,” he sighed, placing his hands on his knees tiredly. He was trapped in the dark like before. He looked over and saw a large stone wall divided equally into squares. There appeared sixteen spaces but only fifteen squares.

“There’s one that’s empty,” Yugi observed.

Just then, he felt his arm burn once more. He hissed in pain as he wrapped his right hand around the marks.

“Oh…no!” he hissed. “It’s… another game!”

* * *

Tea remembered from her childhood she would visit the small boy whenever he was sick. Yugi had also done the same for her. However, when the two were younger, it appeared Yugi would become ill often. Tea felt her own heart ache a little.

“ _Yugi… you haven’t been this sick in a while_ ,” she recalled, placing her hands over her chest. “ _Will you be all right?_ ”

Tea had always fantasized about moving to New York and starting her dream of studying dance. She worked hard for her grades, and she obtained a job to earn money for tuition and support, but a part of her was scared to leave. Not only did she fear the unknown, she also was afraid of leaving behind her friends, especially Yugi.

Even though the boy was no longer the timid child she once knew, she was unsure of what was spinning around her mind with her friend. She wondered how much time she not only had with Yugi but with Yami as well. Her thoughts were interrupted hearing footsteps from behind Yugi’s door.

“Tea, we brought some ice,” a student with blonde hair announced as he and another teen entered the room. He stepped over and poured some cubes into a bowl of water.

“How is he doing?” Tristan asked.

“Not so well,” Tea repeated what she had been told.

She could see the old man was correct: Yugi’s face was pale, and his deep breathing was rough.

Tea sat up and removed the white cloth from the sleeping boy’s face. She dipped the threads in cool water and placed it back onto Yugi’s forehead.

At that moment, the adolescent groaned in complete pain.

“Yugi!” everyone yelled out in unison.

The small boy started to toss and turn.

“Hold on Yug!” Joey encouraged as he grabbed a strong hold on the boy.

“He might be having a nightmare,” Tristan guessed as he grabbed the sheets from tangling the boy.

As the group attempted to wake the young adult up, Yugi’s left sleeve pulled down. All group members gasped seeing four gashes on soft skin with one of them dripping fresh blood.

Tea’s eyes widened as she placed her hands over her mouth. She never suspected her friend to cut himself.

“ _Yugi, you never resorted to self-harm!_ ” she brought to mind with fear and anxiety creeping through. “ _Not even when you were bullied often!_ ”

Her thoughts were quickly bombarded with reasons as to why her companion would do such a horrific act. Yugi always went to school in a cheerful mood even though he was tortured physically and emotionally. She couldn’t find any connections.

“I’ll go get the First Aid kit!” Tristan announced as he quickly left the room.

Joey became distracted, unsure of what to think. He heard about adolescents who cut themselves to relive pain when under stress, but he never figured his own buddy would do such thing.

“ _Yug! What’s going on, man?!_ ” Joey had also assumed those who self-harm were weak, but his views slightly changed upon seeing Yugi.

Tristan rushed back to the room, and Tea took hold of the white box. She quickly took out an alcohol wipe.

“Hold him still,” she ordered.

Joey grabbed on to Yugi while Tristan took the teen’s left hand and pulled down the sleeve completely.

“ _This might sting_ ,” she mentally told Yugi. She quickly washed away the crimson liquid and then quickly wrapped gauze around the boy’s arm.

Soon, the ill boy stopped moving and started to relax.

Everyone sighed, confused about what was wrong with their friend. They had wondered about his attitude lately, unsure of what more they could do since Yugi refused to say anything or would quickly change the subject.

“ _Yugi… this isn’t like you_ …” Tea thought sadly to herself.

* * *

Yami pulled the handle to the door.

“Nothing,” he grunted dissatisfied. He glared at the door with anger, muddled about why his partner had entered, but he could not.

“Is this part of Yugi’s Shadow Game?” he asked himself out loud. “Is he to play these games alone?”

 **To be continued** …


	8. An Unsatisfying Match

**Chapter 8: An Unsatisfying Match**

The pain slowly diminished on Yugi’s arm.

“What am I going to do?” he asked himself dolefully as he looked over towards his next challenge.

His whole body trembled in fear as his heart pounded rapidly against his chest. Glancing behind him, he noted the tightly sealed door. Beyond the gateway was his darker half and partner. He longed to be with Yami, who had always given him courage and strength.

“No! I mustn’t give up!” he scolded himself.

Boldly, he strolled towards the next game. He gazed around at the giant wall with squares stone. On the blocks were gold and raven-colored markings. The shapes were all even, but one appeared missing.

“Hmm… I wonder if this is a puzzle box.” Yugi asked himself out loud. “And if so, how do I solve this if I don’t have any references?”

Lifting his hands, he moved around several pieces. Like with his first game, he only needed to point to a square, and the piece relocated itself on its own, flowing smoothly. The image was distorted, but he continued. He wanted to be with his darker half once more. The picture was blurry yet somehow familiar. He stopped working for a moment and sighed.

He believed he wasn’t accomplishing anything. He tried working once more but appeared to be stuck. He had difficulty choosing which strategy to try next. By force of habit, he placed his hands around the area where the Puzzle fell, but he only felt air. Looking down, he frowned upon not seeing his treasure in its usual spot. He wanted to hear comforting words from the pharaoh.

“ _Am I always relying on Yami?_ ” Yugi pondered sadly. “ _Is… is that why I can never be able to let go?_ ”

His eyes turned watery. He looked back towards the gateway. He knew the door would not open until the game was over, whether he lost or won. He did not want to hold the pharaoh back. Returning his gaze to the puzzle box, he worked again.

He felt guilty for ever thinking it was all right for him to take the Puzzle and the spirit away from finding any information from his past. Fortunately for him, even though the challenge was large, the pieces stirred effortlessly.

“ _I’m sorry, Yami_.” Yugi thought to himself as he allowed tears to slide down. “ _I… I won’t hold you back anymore. I’ll help you complete what Destiny set before you_.”

* * *

Yami glared at the sealed gateway.

“What am I supposed to do,” he questioned anxiously. “Will Yugi be all right? What if he…”

He worried about the condition of his lighter half. The smaller boy barely started to feel well, and now he was on his own for a challenge against the Shadows. There was also concern towards the matter of the marks on his arm. If he lost again, blood would trickle down his limb.

Yami shook his head. He knew he had to believe in his partner. The boy had demonstrated great amounts of courage when he needed to, actions that had even surprised him.

“Yugi will make it through!” Yami shouted with hope towards the bitter sky.

* * *

When the final image appeared, the young boy sighed disheartened. The picture he spent time placing together was the trademark eye from the Millennium Items. Disappointed with his own ignorance, he stared at the ground.

“I should have known…” he sighed annoyed.

One mark on his arm began to glow then vanished.

Yugi possessed no joy upon his victory in completing his task. His mood was consumed with even more depression.

The game he had lost had three stars on the door. He had won the games behind the doors with one and two stars. He now deducted the stars were marks of the challenge level.

He felt stupid for taking on the challenge with three stars first rather than go in numerical order. He was, however, curious as to what led the picture of the mysterious eye appear on the puzzle box challenge.

Behind him, he saw the light from the door opening. He trudged away from his game unsatisfied.

“How did it go,” a voice filled with compassion asked.

Yugi didn’t bother to look up. He couldn’t face the person he knew who asked him the question. Instead, he only showed his arm.

“That’s great!” Yami claimed, glad his lighter half had completed the next challenge. His smile faded seeing the expression on the boy’s face.

“Yugi, what’s wrong,” he asked softly, baffled why Yugi was not excited about his victory. His only theory was not all games are satisfying, especially when playing one below a person’s skill level.

The teen pulled his arm away and walked a few steps away from his partner. He stared out into the distant. He already knew he was the light for his partner; the pharaoh had told him many times in the past. He wondered what he would become later on in his future.

“ _What is light without darkness?_ ”

He waited for his next challenge to appear.

* * *

Outside, the boy’s three friends were stunned and mystified upon what they saw.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions!” Joey finally yelled, catching the other two’s attention.

“How do we know Yug did this?” the blonde suggested, bringing ideas about the small teen’s injury to the table.

“You’re saying someone else did this?” Tristan joined in. “As though someone were bullying him again?”

Tea gasped upon hearing the theory. She couldn’t stand the thought of her childhood friend undergoing physical, and possibly, emotional torture again. She had kept an eye on Yugi after the bond between him and the other two boys were formed. When she saw the genuine friendship between the guys, she allowed herself to be more comfortable around them as well. She had witnessed the small teen’s courage grow and thought it would be best to let the past go.

“ _But is Yugi doing the same thing?_ ” she pondered silently to herself. She snapped her head up hearing the two boys shuffling a bit.

“I’m not sure,” Joey answered honesty. “But he hasn’t been really acting like himself.”

He recalled the duel between him and his friend just before Yugi was dismissed from school for his fever. The slow witted teen had noticed his pal was distracted. At first he truly thought it was because the boy was ill, but perhaps another reason was the true cause. He glanced over towards the Puzzle. The part that caught his attention was the eye.

He reached for the necklace by the chain. The cold, metal connection was what nearly led Yugi to his doom in the burning warehouse. He nearly lost his life for the sake of the Puzzle. Many people would have abandoned the jewelry while those consumed by greed would have burned alive in an attempt to make a quick sale for the piece of gold. However, everyone was aware of the spirit that dwelled within; the main reason why Yugi risked his life to place the pieces back together and refused to let go.

Joey drew his eye towards the center piece; the same piece he took when he saw the boy attempting to place the puzzle together. A part of himself stayed furious at himself for calling Yugi a girl and insulting him. Deep down, he was only jealous how Yugi appeared so happy even when he was always by himself.

“Joey,” Tristan called out, breaking through his pals thoughts.

“We need to help him!” Joey yelled with determination.

“But how?” Tea asked, feeling the same desire. “Yugi’s asleep right now and doesn’t feel well.”

“I think this might be worse,” Tristan commented. He pulled down the small teen’s sleeve.

The other two joined in and saw the bleeding on Yugi’s arm had continued. There was another mark as well that allowed the crimson liquid to fall. However, the gash that was in between had vanished.

“He may be right,” Joey concurred after giving the situation some thought.

Tea nodded in agreement. She spotted in their eyes the same burning compassion they all shared after the vertically challenged teen fainted in the Shadow Realm at Duelist Kingdom.

The three of them placed their hands over the Puzzle. They had wanted to assist their friend in any way possible. They knew the spirit of the Puzzle was doing all he could to help out his partner.

A flash of light beamed through.

Three bodies in the boy’s room hit the ground.

They appeared to have fallen asleep.

**To be continued** **…**


	9. Harmful Encouragement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Chapter contains one scene of graphic bullying

**Chapter 9: Harmful Encouragement**

The young teen with tri-color hair sat alone at the edge of the icy lake. He hugged his legs tightly together against his chest. He didn’t care his pants or sleeves had been stained with deep crimson spots on them. He requested he be left alone as he reflected about his last challenge.

Flashback

“You won the game, but it was unsatisfying, wasn’t it?” Yami asked as he walked closer towards the small teen.

Yugi’s only answer was silence. He agreed but didn’t know what he could say. He wondered what his life would be like after the departure of the Millennium Items. He was curious to know why he was chosen to solve the Puzzle when he believed he was filled with so many flaws. He had faith within the very strong pharaoh and believed the courageous soul did not need someone so weak be his side.

Yami longed to say something encouraging to his partner, but he could not as the test was design for the Puzzle bearer, not the spirit that dwelled within.

Just then, two more doors appeared. One had four stars on the top while the other had five.

Yugi placed his opposite hand on his injured arm. He had won two games and lost one. He once again had an option to take. However, if he chose wrong, he may lose the whole game entirely. Learning after his mistake, he stood in front of the door with four stars.

The door opened and waited for the player to step through.

The teen turned hesitant; he didn’t want to be alone for his next challenge.

His darker half sensed this but understood there was nothing more he could do.

“I can’t go in,” Yami stated as he placed his hand over the opening. The gateway was wide, but he could not enter.

Yugi did not want to go; he was too afraid. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. He looked up to see a pair of eyes filled with compassion and a warm smile.

“You can do this.” Yami gently reassured.

Yugi nodded.

Once he entered, the door closed itself. He took a few steps in but stopped until his eyes adjusted properly. A bright light shined on his next challenge. He walked over with caution.

In the center of the dark room lied a large game board. On it were two game pieces and a pair of regular dice. The teen walked closer to examine his challenge. On the board was a rainbow-colored striped path with many obstacles to overcome. Towards the end of the board was a place that declared a user the winner. The two game players were mini sizes of Dark Magician and the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

The boy became perplexed about the two monsters. The purple wizard was always his favorite while the white dragon was a monster he was constantly at battle with. As Yugi knelt on the ground, he wondered how he was to play a game for two players when he was the only one around.

At that moment, the dice levitated by themselves. Yugi grew surprised by this. The pair fell to the ground and added to the number six. The white dragon took the amount of steps on the board and landed on a solid green square.

Yugi noticed some of the squares carried writing or pictures on them while others held only color.

The dice floated towards the teen. They landed gently on the ground and waited for the next player to take his turn.

Yugi picked up the cubes and had questions about his game. Looking across the board, he saw where the first piece had relocated itself. He then glanced towards the beginning and assumed the other piece, Dark Magician, was his. He tossed the dice into the air and waited for them to land. When they did, Yugi’s piece moved on its own.

The area he landed on read “Take Another Turn”. The teen accepted the instructions, and the wizard landed on a red spot.

The dice floated in the air and landed. The dragon moved to a spot that read “Jump Three Spaces”. The monster took the action and landed on another spot that read “Take Another Turn”. When the move finished, Blue Eyes landed on a yellow square.

Yugi took the dice and rolled them. The magician landed on a spot that read “Lose Next Turn”.

“Darn it,” Yugi mumbled.

The unknown user took the dice and rolled. The monster landed on a purple spot. Because the teen had lost his next turn, the dice lifted themselves up and dropped once more. Blue Eyes landed on a blue square.

Yugi glanced up and noted the distant between his monster and the other: The white dragon was approaching the winner square. Yugi understood he needed to move quickly and roll either a high number or land on a lucky spot. He tossed the dice and Dark Magician landed on a gold star. The piece magically moved closer towards the finish spot.

“Hey, all right!” Yugi cheered with joy.

Blue Eyes was then moved to a spot that read “Move Back Three Spaces”.

The teen took his turn. The wizard landed on a black star and moved further away from the gold star as well from the other player.

“What?” Yugi gasped. He had done so well, and now he was behind once more.

The dice rolled onto a number five. The other piece moved towards another gold star. It was then transported towards one spot in front of the winner’s circle.

“I… I mustn’t give up.” Yugi repeated what many others had told him in his past.

He stared at his piece. He needed to roller a number that would get him towards the winner’s circle if he were to complete the game. Tossing the dice, he landed on a blue diamond that moved the purple wizard one space apart from the white dragon. However, he knew nothing more could be done.

The dice rolled by themselves, and Blue Eyes White Dragon strolled over the finish line.

Yugi hissed in pain. He pulled down his sleeve and saw the second to last mark on his arm began to bleed.

End flash back

Yugi continued to stare at his reflection. The image stared right back at him. He did his best but did not win. Two cuts bled on his arm, and one more remained. He already lost two games, and he was unsure if he could handle the next one. He remembered when he first started high school he was willing to try new activities.

The plan did not work out, but when he gained friends, he was willing to do anything for them, such as standing up to the school bully, facing men with guns, or even other duelists who took joy in seeing others suffer in the Shadow Realm. Yugi doubted how much he had changed over the years. He survived any duels against crazed, madmen, but he had trouble deciding for himself about what he wanted.

He recalled every duel between him and his foes were really between Yami and the enemy. He, on the other hand, would sit in the back and only cheer his other self. He wondered if he really possessed any skills as a duelist, his most prideful game. He sighed as he closed his eyes, remembering his last challenge.

“Just like before,” he whispered sadly to himself as another gloomy memory entered his heart.

Suddenly, he felt someone grabbing him. The strength of the stranger was too great to be his darker half. He tried to break free but could not. He shot his eyes open and found himself with his face hovering above the lake. Remaining still, he prayed he would not be dropped into the bitter looking water.

“All right Yug,” a voice with a thick accent began. “We’re gonna give you to the count of three, and if you don’t talk, we’ll toss you in!”

The teen with the tri-color hair’s heart raced. He couldn’t concentrate to place together the voice of whom it belonged too; his mind was too stressed out and growing weary. He closed his eyes tightly. Depressing memories flooded his mind. He remembered kids from his past would hover his face above the toilet water, then pushed him in. Tears streamed down his face. He didn’t want to be treated in that manner anymore but felt powerless to change.

“Joey! Please stop!” shrieked a female’s voice.

“Yeah, dude,” agreed another, this one male. “I think he’s crying. Put him down!”

Yugi felt his body smoothly being removed from above air back towards the ground. He continued to sob and refused to open his eyes. He couldn’t take the idea of being bullied anymore. Anytime the subject had come up, a small pain stung his heart. But he would shrug it off because he had promised himself to let the past go and enjoy his time with his friends. Now he felt too weak and worthless to try anymore.

He vaguely heard someone shout sincerely, “Yug! Sorry man! I didn’t mean to make you cry!”

He felt someone placed a tender hand on his shoulder. Tears stopped flowing. He tried to calm himself down. He listened carefully to hear, “We were all just worried about you. Especially with those cuts on your arm.”

He opened his eyes and saw his other friends had somehow arrived. All three of them wore their school uniform. Yugi became curious how they found him; even he didn’t know where he was or how he came about. As he gazed around he looked into the groups’ eyes, he saw a set of purple, blue, honey, and brown. They were all worried about him.

The small teen shifted his view towards the dark green, soft grass. He felt immense guilty. His friends had always been concerned about him because he rarely had the courage to stand up for himself. When he did, he was still hurt and saved by his companions whether it was a physical fight or through Duel Monsters. He squeezed his hands into tight fists as he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Yug, we’ll figure this all out,” the blonde adolescent said with care. “Just tell us what’s going on.”

“I… I don’t know…” Yugi answered honestly. “One moment I was in my room and the next… I was playing these games…”

“What kind of games?” Tristan asked.

“… Games that seem ordinary but… have some sort of twist to them.”

Yugi glanced up and could see how worried his friends looked.

“But I didn’t cut myself!” he shouted with anxiety. “Honest!”

Tears built up once more and threatened to fall. Yugi felt weak. In the past he was tempted to hurt himself to relieve his emotional trauma but knew nothing would be accomplished. He was always glad to see the bright, sunny glow from the sky and appreciate whatever time he had with his childhood friend while having fun with his parents and grandparents. The only moments he was surrounded by darkness was when he was bullied and when his heart cried out in loneliness.

“Don’t worry, Yug.” Joey assured. “We believe you.”

The group looked at each other, then towards Yami. The dark spirit only nodded. They all understood their small friend would never harm himself.

“So now what?” Tea asked.

“We wait for the next challenge.” Yami answered.

He glanced towards his partner, who stared at the ground. He spotted Yugi contained a small spark in his eyes but was fogged out by his lost. He knew something was wrong: The teen normally was overfilled with joy when he saw his friends, but everything appeared different.

“ _Ever since Yugi became ill_ _he hasn’t been himself._ ” Yami noted. “ _Why is that?_ ”

His thoughts were interrupted hearing Joey cheer, “Well whatever it is, bring it on! I know Yugi will be able to handle it!”

“That’s right!” Tristan agreed.

“We’re always by his side.” Tea said with a smile.

“You can do it partner.” Yami encouraged as he agreed with the group. “I know the last game wasn’t easy, but you need to keep moving forward.”

“ _There they go again_ …” Yugi shut his eyes. All the words being said gave him a headache. He heard them so many times before, and he always felt doubt. Most of the time the cheers were geared towards Yami; he was the one who was facing the villain who was out to get him and his powers, not Yugi, who was the shy, timid boy and was only the vessel for the pharaoh.

Even if he had the strength to believe in himself, everything only took a turn for the worst. He understood everyone had their problems, but these were issues he believed he had to deal with on his own. And because he was alone, he wasn’t sure if he could make it through.

“Hey, what’s that?” Joey asked.

Everyone turned to see across the body of water where a door with five stars stood.

Yugi glanced away; he already knew what lied ahead of him. One more cut laid on his arm. Two of them had vanished, and the other two remained as scabs.

“Let’s go see,” the blonde suggested as he led the group.

Everyone walked around the body of water towards the interesting and mysterious door. Yugi and Yami walked in back. The spirit noticed the anxiety level coming from his partner. He wanted to say something but observed his light stayed lost in his own world.

“ _What now?_ ” Yugi pondered. “ _Yami couldn’t enter through, and I don’t think any of my friends can either… So far nothing bad had happen to Yami but… what about everyone else? Would… would anything happen to them… because of me?_ ”

At that moment, the ground underneath Joey disappeared. The teen yelled as he fell through, but he caught the edges of the hole.

“Joey!” everyone shouted as the approached the damaged ground. They all saw the area below their friend appeared like an endless pit.

“Hey! Get me outta here!” Joey yelled.

“We’re coming man!” Tristan shouted back.

He knelt down on the ground and grabbed hold of his friend’s wrist. Yami did the same. Tea was behind Tristan while Yugi was behind Yami. The small teen pushed away his time of despair from his mind in order to help his accident-prone companion. The group pulled the young adolescent out of the hole.

“Thanks guys.” Joey gasped with gratitude. “I would have hated to fall down there!”

“Then watch where you’re walking!” Tristan scolded.

“I was!” Joey protested. “I’m telling you that area was solid!”

“Then maybe you need to stay away from the junk food.” Tea teased.

“Whatever!” Joey pouted.

The group laughed. A smile appeared on everyone’s faces after surviving another horrific event together.

Yugi looked around his clique, feeling lucky they didn’t leave him after all their crazy adventures. The group of special friends had fun after their time of dark mishaps. As much as Yugi wanted everything to stay the way things were, he knew he had to allow his friends to take their own paths.

They approached the door together. The gateway opened, and Joey rushed in.

“Joey!” Yugi called out.

“Wait!” Yami added.

The blonde was about to go in when he smashed into an invisible barrier. He was deflected backwards and landed on his rump.

“What was that about!?” Joey demanded to know.

Yugi looked away as Yami explained, “Only Yugi can enter; these are his games.”

Joey stood up and dusted himself off. As much as he hated to admit it, he understood the reasons behind all this. He didn’t want to let his friend handle the situation alone, but he did his best to cheer everyone else’s spirit up. He deeply retained his faith in his buddy and knew the small boy could overcome any obstacle, like he had in the past. He placed his hands on the teen’s shoulders and encouraged, “You can do this!”

Yugi was unsure of what to say. He was hearing those same words again. His heart pressed a battle of emotions. A part of him was glad to hear those same words, and the other part was afraid of them. He understood his friends meant well. Friends encourage each other through tough times. But he felt he became a burden on them. To him, the whole situation appeared hopeless. He was scared he wasn’t brave enough to stand his own ground alone and would disappoint his circle of companions.

“We’ll be waiting for you!” Tristan added with a thumbs up.

“Come on, Yugi,” Tea tried to reassure.

Yami walked over and added, “Isn’t this what you wanted? Isn’t this part of the journey only you can do?”

Yugi looked at his group. He cared about them more than anything else in the world. Understanding if he wanted to see them again and enjoy the time they have together, he would need to accept and win the final challenge. He nodded as he agreed. He took a big breath and entered through.

The door closed behind him.

Everyone saw what took place but could not fully comprehend the situation.

“I believe it would be best if you all went back into the real world.” Yami heavily advised after a moment of silence.

“What!?” the group gasped. They realized they hadn’t been in the mysterious area long, and now the former pharaoh was telling them to go back.

“This Shadow Game is for Yugi,” the spirit explained.

“And those cuts…” Tea asked but trailed off.

“He honestly did not harm himself.” Yami informed. “Those are just markings for the games.”

“Well, we did see one of them bleed before we came.” Tristan noted. “Then there was one more even after we cleaned it up.”

“Those five gashes are the number of games.” Yami explained. “He won two and lost the other two… I assume if he loses this last one it’ll be all over.”

His eyes fell to the floor. He prayed his light would overcome any difficulty the Shadows could throw. He, along with everyone else, wanted to see Yugi smile once more.

“There must be something we can do!” Joey protested, not wanting to see his buddy hurt and gloomy anymore.

“There is.” Yami agreed. “It would be best if you all watched over Yugi’s physical body.”

“To make sure nothing too serious happens to him, right?” Tristan assumed.

Yami nodded once again.

Tea looked at the ground. She felt disgusted hearing the Shadows gave her friend marks on his arms, appearing as though he were injured only to find out he was hurt for his loss of the two games. She wasn’t happy discovering her friend was playing another Shadow Game. Every time someone did, the consequence was always unfavorable even if they won. Deep down, she knew Yugi had to go through with it. She believed she did all she could and the rest of the trial was up to her childhood friend.

“Please make sure Yugi doesn’t suffer anymore through his stomach ulcer as well.” Yami requested another wish.

“Stomach ulcer!?” the group yelled stunned.

“Yes,” the spirit unhappily replied as he glanced towards the ground. “He was under plenty of stress, which caused his stomach to undergo too much pain for him to handle.”

“So then when me and Tristan took him to the nurse…” Joey trailed off.

“He later went to the hospital.” Yami answered solemnly. “But there was nothing more the doctors could do, so they sent him home. They said he needed at least five days-worth of rest.”

Everyone became silent. They hadn’t realized how badly Yugi felt. They understood they needed to enter back into reality and assist their small companion any way they could.

The group placed their hands together in the center. They concentrated hard.

Yami closed his eyes and hoped for everyone to arrive back into the real world safely.

A glow of light began to wrap itself around them, but they showed no fear.

“Take care, man.” Tristan wished.

“Yeah, make sure Yug makes it through.” Joey added.

“We’ll… see you both soon…” Tea joined in before the group vanished.

Yami stood alone in the field. He stared at the door. Behind it lied the most difficult challenge for the teen.

“This game is for the battle over Yugi’s heart.” Yami reminded himself. He reached down where the Puzzle hung but felt only air. He was aware how his partner always called the Puzzle his second heart, for he placed his entire being into solving the artifact despite it taking him eight years to do so.

Yami pondered how much sadness and pain Yugi endured before its completion, the two meeting, and making a strong bond between them. He prayed not only will Yugi win, but whatever problems he underwent would be solved.

“I know you can win… I don‘t wish to be partners with anyone else other than you.”

* * *

Cautiously, Yugi walked down a long, dimly lit hallway.

“Huh… this all looks… familiar somehow,” he observed.

He continued on with his search for his final trial. He found some light emitting not too far from where he stood. Dashing over towards the light, he knew his challenges showed up right after he was able to see. A window was within his view, but it was foggy. He then noticed a door. He slid it open and waited a moment for his eyes to adjust.

To his right, Yugi spotted a blank chalk board. Across from him was another window where the sounds of laughing children could be heard. With the rows of desks Yugi inferred he was in a classroom. He stepped in so he could gain a better view of everything. He stopped upon seeing a small dark figure towards the back of the room.

The figure sat at a desk with a crumpled up paper in front. The image was blurry, but traces of pink could be seen, and it looked to be a pair of ballet shoes. Yugi took another step closer. His heart raced. His eyes widened when the shadowy figure became clear.

“That’s… me…” Yugi gasped.

Sitting at a desk all alone was a younger version of Yugi. The small boy wore a white shirt with black pants. His hair was messy and soaking wet.

Yugi stepped back. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He didn’t understand why he was back within his own past, but he did not want to find out.

Quickly, he left the classroom and dashed down the hallway. He did not run far, for the area broke off into a dark pit. He stopped running and tried to maintain his balance so he would not fall off the edge. He fell backwards and landed on his rump. He breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath. He looked down into the abyss, but his mind was scattered about what he saw.

He became confused as to why he saw his younger self. Memories engulfed his mind, and he remembered why he was wet and why he sat by himself in an empty classroom. Mixtures of depression and fear consumed his being.

Flashback

“So, what do you want to do when you grow up?” a girl with short brown hair asked.

Two pre-teens sat together at the back of the classroom painting. Their assignment was to illustrate what type of future they wanted.

“Oh… um…” a young boy with tri-color hair stuttered. “I’m… I’m not sure.”

He glanced down at his blank sheet of paper. He really did not know what he wanted. He believed he was lucky enough to survive each passing day. He was unsure what lied beyond his career as a student in middle school. The idea of starting high school scared him out of his mind, afraid of what other types of people his age may be like. He thought about meeting new pupils and finally making friends, but the idea quickly vanished fearing the notion of being bullied once more.

“But… I like your pair of ballet shoes, Tea,” he added.

“Oh, thanks, Yugi,” Tea giggled. “I really want to study dance when I get older.”

“Really? That’s so cool!”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Where do you want to study?”

“That’s a secret.” Tea winked.

Yugi became impressed by his pal’s dream. He never wielded the courage to go on stage and perform the way she did. He always liked that feature about his childhood friend, her bravery and her self-confidence.

The girl stood up and walked towards the front of classroom to go grab more paint. As she did, many students whispered among each other about the relationship between the two friends. Unfortunately for Yugi, he heard every word of it.

“Why is Tea always paired up with Yugi?” one student asked.

“Maybe the teacher made them!” another student suggested.

“Aw! Poor Tea!” cried a third student.

“She says they’re only friends, but are they really?”

“I can’t imagine why!”

“Yeah, all that Yugi-kid does is sit by himself and play those childish games.”

“Yeah, Tea needs a boyfriend who can control her better.”

As the class president walked from the front to the back of the room, everyone settled back down. She took and a seat and noticed how upset her friend appeared.

“Yugi, what’s wrong?” Tea asked.

“…N-nothing…” Yugi mumbled.

Filled with frustration, the girl sighed; she did not believe her friend. She understood the troubles he went through and tried her best to be there for him. However, she knew there was only so much she could do.

“Yugi, you need to stand up for yourself.” she finally stated.

The boy glanced up from his blank page towards his companion with soft, friendly blue eyes. He couldn’t help but be filled with a strange emotion upon meeting the pair always filled with compassion, unfamiliar with someone holding hope for him.

“People won’t know how you feel unless you tell them,” she continued. “Here, why don’t you take this for a little inspiration? I can always make a new one tonight for homework.”

Yugi nodded; he believed his friend was correct. He was grateful to receive a gift from his pal whom he cared about very much. Looking at the painting with admiration, he was glad to have someone like Tea by his side.

Tea stood up and went to gather her supplies. As she did, Yugi knew what he wanted to paint. He reached for his brush and dipped it into yellow paint. He went into a circle on the white sheet and filled it in. Next, he reached for black and worked into a little detail within the yellow figure. He smiled when he looked down at his completed work.

“ _I only wish to have a happier future_ ,” he thought to himself as he looked at his smiley face.

The bell rang, and the two friends departed. Tea had another class while Yugi had lunch. He longed to have the same break period as his companion, but he did not want to seem like a lost puppy that followed a child.

He placed his belongings in his locker. He then walked across campus to find an empty classroom. He didn’t like to be in the same room as other people even if they were not in his grade. He hated the stares and whispers coming from the other students.

He stopped walking for a moment and sighed. He longed to have a clique of his own to play games with he brought every day. He never liked playing sports since he believed any team he was placed on would just lose. Though he often had been told it is the way a game is played, he disliked the disgruntle looks coming from his teammates.

Lost in emotions, Yugi almost scrunched a paper within his hands. He stopped and looked at it. He was glad he had not gone through with his action; otherwise, he would have crumpled his gift from Tea. He continued on walking. He only had to cross the school’s pool to arrive at his destination.

“Hey, shrimp,” called out a voice.

The pre-teen froze in fear. He knew where the voice came from. Because the school was small, everyone knew who Yugi Muto was. The bullies made him an easy target, aware no one would stand up for him and how easy he cried. Yugi snapped into reality seeing a tall, heavy student walked towards him.

“Gimme your lunch money,” the student demanded with greed.

Yugi froze, baffled about what to do. He had already left for school in the morning without eating breakfast and was nearly starving. Despite that, he knew it would be easiest to hand over his change, and he might be left alone without any scrapes.

But, he was tired of brainstorming excuses for his injuries, and why his underwear was always outstretched. He hated lying to his family, but he hated the idea of himself being a burden on them. He was too afraid his father may quit his job in order to be around more or have him transfer to a different school. In defeat, Yugi reached into his pocket when the bully snatched the paper in his hands.

“What’s this?” the bully mocked.

“Hey! That’s mine!” Yugi protested.

“Why would a guy like you be carrying around a…. picture of… ballet shoes? With pink laces?”

“That’s a gift from Tea!”

“Ooo! A gift from your girlfriend?”

“Hey! She’s… just being polite… to everyone she meets.”

“Well, whatever. Just give me the money and I might let you go free.”

Yugi wondered if the bond between him and Tea was true. The girl was often polite to everyone and was seen talking and hanging out with almost everyone among their peer groups. But the words Tea had advised echoed into Yugi’s mind. Whenever he was around Tea, a different atmosphere formed between them than with anyone else. He believed now was the time to stand up for himself if he was to ever reach his future of happiness.

“N-no.” Yugi denied, trying to act brave.

“What’d you say?” the bully questioned annoyed.

“I said no!” Yugi repeated firmly.

He noticed his own voice sounded more confident. He felt his heart beat faster as his whole body became engulfed with adrenaline.

The bully, on the other hand, lost his patients. He punched Yugi across the face, causing the small boy to fall to the ground.

Yugi tried to stand up but was knocked down once more. With one eye, he gazed around the campus and saw other students, but they only stared. Yugi shut his eyes in defeat. He knew no one would come over to help him. His confidence within himself diminished.

He slowly stood up. With his hands trembling, he reached into his pocket once more for his money. Pulling out his change, he noticed the bully still had his gift from Tea. Yugi did not wish to see a painting from her ruined. He formed an idea. He lifted his hand up and the coin reflected brightly against the sun.

“Is this what you want?” Yugi asked with the bully staring into the glow with greed. He folded his hand and tossed the money with him saying, “Then go get it!”

He bravely threw the money into the school’s pool. The bill became soggy while the coins sank towards the bottom.

The male student could not believe what he saw.

Many of the other students grew awestruck, too. They never thought to see such an act come from Yugi Muto.

The bully changed his view from the water towards the small boy.

Yugi quaked in fear realizing what he had done.

“Not the best choice, Muto,” the bully stated with raw anger.

Yugi turned too fearful to move.

The bully crumpled the paper in his hands. The crunching caused Yugi’s heart to almost stop beating.

“Wait! Stop!” Yugi begged, seeing his gift crushed by the grip of the heavy student.

The bully noticed how his victim’s eyes began to look watery. He thought of a plan to enact his revenge against the student who tossed away what he believed to be his.

“You think that was funny?” the bully asked in a mocking tone. He scrunched the paper even more. He raised his hands and tossed the gift towards the same body of water. As he did, he added sadistically, “Then this must be fucking hilarious!”

“No!” Yugi cried when he saw his gift becoming wet.

Trying to race over towards the pool, his body suddenly made contact with the student’s fist. He fell to the floor. He was then lifted up and received another punch to his face. He was on his feet but his legs refused to be used. A hand dashed down behind his pants. He yelled out in pain as the bully stretched out his underwear from behind.

He was dropped to the ground with the sound of laughter fading away. Tears plummeted down his face. He only wanted to stand up for himself, and he received a beating. He knew the same bully would be after him the next day, and he knew he could do nothing.

Slowly, Yugi stood up. He glanced over towards the water. Fixing his underwear, he ran towards the pool as quickly as he could. Within his view, he spotted his gift. The water had dissolved parts of the paper, and the image became blurry. He glanced around and saw students whispered then left.

“ _I had hoped for a happy future_ ,” he thought as he took off his shoes. “ _But maybe I should just be an animal on display… like the ones at the zoo... or a circus._ ”

He sighed heavily and then jumped into the water.

End flashback

The teen with the tri-color hair buried his face into his legs that he pulled closer to himself and began to cry.

From that point on, any time he was threatened, he would immediately give in. When he did, he rarely was beaten up. He developed the belief everything would flow smoothly if he submitted himself. He did not want to bring anyone harm. He also did not wish to be a burden to his family nor his only companion.

Later on when he finally made friends, he was often lectured by them, telling him to stand up for himself. He was also told by his darker half to believe in himself. As much as Yugi wanted to, he felt he could not. He assisted his friends when they were experiencing problems, but he felt he could not do the same for himself.

Yugi felt his arm burn but did not care. He fully embraced the thought he did not have the strength or courage to go on. He tried several times to believe in himself but often believed nothing would change.

Without his knowledge, from behind him, the Shadows were drawing in on him.

“I’m sorry, everyone,” Yugi sobbed quietly. “But… I… I can’t do this…. anymore.”

**To be continued…**


	10. Without His Second Heart Part 1

**Chapter 10: Without His Second Heart Part 1**

The group awoke and found themselves back within Yugi’s room. Slowly, they stood up, ensuring they would not lose their balance and fall. Their bodies were heavy, but they pushed aside their own health to inspect the other was well.

“Everybody made it back alive?” Joey asked as he rubbed his dizzy head.

“I think so.” Tristan grunted.

“I’m fine.” Tea replied after catching her breath.

All three glanced down at Yugi, who appeared to be resting peacefully. However, they all understood from past experiences the situation will turn worst before it could become better. None of them could believe their friend was not only having another trial within the Shadow Realm, but he was also suffering from a physical disease.

At that moment, the female teen dashed out.

“Tea! Where are you going!?” Joey asked.

“I need to go get something!” Tea answered.

She raced down the hallway towards a closet. Sliding the door open, her eyes scanned the cluttered shelves. Among seeing a vacuum cleaner, rolls of toilet paper, and worn out bathroom towels, she finally saw what she was looking for. Reaching for the item, she noticed how quiet the house was. She assumed the other two Muto members were either out or were acting extra quiet in order for Yugi to rest. Quickly, she went back towards the ill teen’s room.

“What were you looking for?” Tristan asked calmly.

“This.” Tea replied as she took a bag and ripped it open.

The package fell onto the floor. The male teen with brown hair picked up the item and read the object was a heating pad. He then passed it to Joey and walked closer towards Yugi. He gently removed the covers. As he did, the blonde adolescent understood the plan, so he carefully moved Yugi’s pajama top up.

Tea leaned over and placed the heating pad on Yugi’s abdominal area.

“Hopefully this will help ease his stomach,” she explained her idea to her two friends.

The boys nodded in agreement as they repositioned Yugi‘s top and bed sheets. They were grateful to have someone like Tea, who treated both physical and emotional wounds.

Tea took a seat on a chair and gripped her friend’s small hand tightly. She waited with anxiety, for she knew a Shadow Game was never an easy task. Her childhood friend was alone in these challenges, for they were design to test him.

“ _Yugi, please be all right_ ,” she prayed. “ _I know you can make it through this; you’ve been through tougher times_.”

The sleeping boy turned to his side slightly. His pajama top caught between his sheets and slid down a little. The two male teen’s eyes widened seeing a burnt mark on Yugi’s left shoulder.

“Woah, when did Yug get that burn?” Joey questioned with fascination and worry. He did not remember seeing any other marks upon the boy’s body other than the gashes on his left arm. He also did not recall his buddy coming into contact with fire other than the gloomy incident at the abandoned warehouse.

“That looked like it hurt.” Tristan remarked with curiosity.

“That’s from… when we were young…” Tea informed quietly.

The boys looked over at their female friend and noted her eyes were filled with grief yet gratifying at the same time.

“Who did that to him?” the male teen with brown hair asked.

“It happened when we were in middle school.” Tea answered, her voice becoming a bit shaky. “Yugi was avoiding me, and for a while I didn’t know why.”

“What!?” Joey yelled in disbelief, failing to comprehend why his small friend would ever treat the person he cared about in such a manner. “Why was he doing that!?”

“He was trying to protect me,” the girl responded.

The two boys looked at each perplexed. They then returned their glances towards Tea.

Tristan decided to ask, “From who? What was going on?”

Flashback

“Hey, Yugi,” a young version of Tea greeted.

A little boy with tri-color hair sat at his desk alone. He had a deck of cards scattered around, and he was looking at a game book. He glanced up and greeted back softly, “Hi, Tea.”

“It’s been awhile since we’ve been able to talk,” Tea stated with her usual, cheery smile. “Do you want to do something after school today?”

Looking back towards his book, his facial expression tried to cache his worried feelings. He decided to answer, “I’m sorry, but I’m kinda busy.”

“That’s what you said last time.” Tea replied a bit annoyed. She suspected her friend was lying to her. As it pained her to admit, she knew Yugi was not as occupied as he claimed to be. Although she did not understand why the boy was doing such a thing, she wanted to spend time with her small pal.

Outside the classroom, voices of students who shuffled through the hallway outside could be heard. As panic entered his mind, Yugi gathered his materials as he quickly replied, “I’m sorry.”

He quickly left the room.

“What’s with him?” Tea sighed as she placed her hands on her hips.

End Flashback

“I then found out he was avoiding me in order to save me from my so called friends and popularity.” Tea continued.

Flashback

“Yugi, that isn’t your decision to make,” a girl with short brown hair and blue eyes declared. “I decide who I want to be friends with… Popularity doesn’t mean much in the end.”

The small boy did not reply. He only looked down at the ground with embarrassment and with shame. He knew his friend was correct, but the world around him scolded otherwise.

“Yugi,” Tea called out.

The pre-teen glanced back up. He looked over his friend’s shoulder, and his eyes grew wide. He knew he had to leave. “I should get going.”

“Yugi, you’re not going anywhere!” Tea ordered as she grabbed her buddy by his sleeve. “We’re not done talking!”

“But—” Yugi tried to argue when he was cut off by a student who had called out Tea’s name.

The girl who was named turned to see her so called companions with their boyfriends, the same ones who enjoyed picking on Yugi.

“What are you doing with him?” one girl asked.

“I’m just having a chat with my friend.” Tea answered sharply, tired of being told who she should be with. She wanted to be treated as a person, not exist only for the amusement of others.

“Why,” another girl asked. “It doesn’t seem like that. It seems more like you’re a mother bird looking out for a baby who can’t take care of himself.”

Tea couldn’t find an answer to the statement. She never really thought about why she chose to hang out with someone like Yugi. The two had just simply always known each other since they were young. She looked at the ground, attempting to piece together an answer, but could not.

Yugi looked towards his only friend. He couldn’t stand seeing her unhappy. She was willing to sacrifice her own friendship and popularity so she could be with him. He didn’t want her feeling inferior to the group of misfits. He wanted to stand up for his friend like she had been doing for him.

“Why don’t you just leave her alone!?” Yugi finally shouted.

The girl with brown hair looked over towards the boy.

He took a few steps and stood right in front of the girl.

“She hasn’t done anything to you guys.” he continued courageously. “She’s only being polite to anyone she meets. I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”

Silence fell among the group.

Tea looked over at the brave student with awe. “ _I have never seen Yugi like this_. _What caused him to suddenly change?_ ”

One of the boys smiled a wicked smile.

“Guess you’re not as weak as we thought,” he said calmly, exhaling a puff of smoke from his cigarette. “Perhaps _we_ could help gain _your_ popularity.”

“I don’t want your opinions.” Yugi replied with backbone and nerve.

“What,” the boy asked as his smile diminished.

“It’s just like Tea said, who cares?” the small boy repeated.

The ring leader of the group turned unsatisfied with the response he received. He snapped his fingers, and the two taller boys grabbed Yugi by his shoulders and upper arms.

“Leave him alone!” Tea ordered. Despite her command, the bully chose not to respond to her.

“What do you want,” Yugi asked calmly, not wanting to abandon Tea.

“Ya know, standing up for your girlfriend isn’t a bad thing,” the main bully complimented.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Tea snapped embarrassed. “He’s just a friend who happens to be a boy!”

Hurt flashed within Yugi’s eyes, but he continued to stand his ground.

“Perhaps we won’t do so much damage if you do one thing,” the mean child persuaded. He reached for a cartridge from his pocket, took out a fresh cigarette, and instructed haughtily, “All you have to do is smoke one of these.”

“Why would I want to do that?” Yugi questioned plainly.

“Because it’ll make you look cool,” the bully explained. “Since you’re going to high school, why not start off with looking cool a bit younger? They’re sure to have respect for you.”

He lit up the white stick and held it in front of his victim’s face.

Yugi became quiet.

Tea waited anxiously for her friend to answer; her heart pounded hard against her chest. She didn’t want her friend to fall into peer pressure because of her. Her eyes widened hearing, “No way.”

Yugi held a look of confidence on his face. He explained assertively, “I don’t need to start a disgusting habit to make friends in high school. I want friends who like me for who I am.”

“Don’t talk that way to our boss!” one of the body guards yelled, nearly shattering Yugi‘s eardrum.

The main bully looked annoyed.

“Fine then,” he replied coldly. “Have it your way.”

He strolled over towards Yugi and pulled down the boy’s white shirt. Yugi tried to break free but could not. The ring leader placed the hot, burning stick on his victim’s shoulder. Closing his eyes in agony, Yugi yelled as the flaming sensation burned through his skin.

“Yugi!” Tea screamed.

When the fire went out, the bully flicked away the cigarette and mocked, “You’ll never get friends like that. Who would want to hang out with someone as weak as you?”

The two body guards released Yugi and walked away with the other female students.

The petite child fell to the floor, relieved it was all over.

Tea rushed towards Yugi’s side and placed her hands on her friend’s shoulder for comfort.

Yugi opened one eye as he asked, “Are you all right?”

Tea smiled. She couldn’t help but feel gratitude towards her buddy for standing up for her. She didn’t understand why the sudden change but was glad to see the pre-teen finally standing up for himself.

“Yes,” she answered. “What about you?”

“It just stings a little,” he answered.

Tea helped Yugi stand up.

“Let’s go and place some cool water over the burn,” she suggested with care.

She leaned over and gave a small quick kiss on Yugi’s cheek.

End Flashback

“I was very grateful for Yugi’s help.” Tea admitted as she continued watching over her friend. She could tell the difference between Yugi and her former classmates who claimed to be her buddies. Even though she made many acquaintances with some of her other peer groups in high school, she still chose to hang out with her friends she had made through Yugi. Although she wanted more female pals, she was happy being in a group who accepted her for who she was, the same desire Yugi retained as well.

“But didn’t Yugi tell anyone else what was going on!?” Tristan asked, alarmed how his friend was treated before they met.

“Yeah! I don’t think his parents and Gramps were unaware to the markings on Yug!” Joey added.

“He told me the reason why he didn’t want to tell his parents was because he didn’t want his parents to get new jobs since the closest school was a little far away.” Tea explained. “He told me he would be able to make it through school, and he was willing to stand up for himself and try new activities in high school.”

Joey and Tristan looked at each other. They then glanced back over at the sleeping boy.

“ _She probably doesn’t know it, but that kiss must have meant a lot to Yugi_.” Tristan thought to himself, “ _Like a hero in a comic book saving a damsel in distress, he received a kiss as a reward for his heroic effort._ ”

“ _Wow, standing up for Tea like that, wanting to take care of his family, believing violence wouldn’t solve anything_ …” Joey closed his eyes and grinned a little. “ _Maybe he was already a man before I came along_ …”

Flashback

“What’s going on!?” a young adult in a sapphire school uniform demanded to know.

Three tall, muscular teens glanced towards the blonde in an ally, all with the same clothing.

What concerned the blonde adolescent with honey-colored eyes the most was that a group of thugs had encircled his pal, a small boy with tri-color hair.

“This ain’t got nothing to do with you,” one of the bullies stated.

“Oh, I think it does.” Joey replied as he punched one fist into his hand.

“Joey! Don’t!” Yugi pleaded. He recently made companions and enjoyed the time he spent with the one called Joey. He did not want to see his new friend harmed because of him.

“Relax Yug,” the slow witted young adult reassured. “It’s all good.”

“Since when are you friends with him?” one of the bullies asked as he raised an eyebrow at the situation. “Last time I checked, _you_ were the one picking on him.”

Joey grew quiet. He regretted some of his actions and words towards the petite boy. But he wanted to show his concern for his new friend by not allowing anyone to pick on the boy. He also wanted to demonstrate his gratitude towards Yugi, showing him what it meant to be a friend.

“That was a past life,” announced another familiar voice. Everyone turned to see Tristan, who stood in front of Yugi. Within the brunette’s eyes, they showed he was ready and willing to take any punches, kicks, or even bullets. Glad his own life had changed for the better, he stated with a smile, “Things are different now.”

“As usual, you’re late to the party man!” Joey said with a grin.

“Ain’t no party without me!” Tristan replied.

“Get them!” the ring leader ordered.

The fight was on.

The two male teens acted their best in defending their new buddy. After receiving several punches, the other two bullies ran off realizing they were no match. The last one who remained bypassed the young adults and punch Yugi in his gut. The boy gasped in pain and fell to his knees as he clutched his abdominal area. Distressful thoughts swirled his mind, and a few tears slid down.

Joey was now filled with rage. He slammed one fist into the guy’s face, knocking out a few teeth.

The bully sprinted off in fear.

The blonde tried to catch his breath as he watched the coward speed off. A part of him felt sick for mistreating someone like Yugi. His thoughts were interrupted hearing Tristan say, “Yugi? Are you ok?”

Joey raced over and knelt down along with the other two.

The small teen opened one eye and looked towards his new friends. The two stood by his side, not leaving him when he was having trouble. They both had looks of not only concern but also compassion on their faces, expressions that the young boy had yearned to see throughout his life but never really had a chance to experience himself.

Until now.

“I’m… fine,” he choked, tears streaming down his face.

“Yug!” Joey called alarmed. “What’s wrong, bud!? Did they hurt you anywhere else!?”

Yugi shook his head but allowed the tears to continue to fall.

Joey and Tristan looked at each other confused and concerned. They assisted Yugi to stand up and walked with him to his home, which later became a new hang out place for everyone. Little did the two know, the tears Yugi conceived were of happiness and joy as the young boy became relieved to have friends to help him out.

End flashback

A glimpse of light caught the male teen’s eyes. He glanced towards Yugi’s desk. On it were a gold, upside down pyramid, a deck constructed from packets of Duel Monster cards, and a letter from Domino University addressed towards Yugi.

“ _Come on Yug_ ,” Joey cheered on mentally. “ _Don’t leave us like this! We still got so much to do before graduation!_ ”

“ _Yugi, sometimes we need a little pain in order to make ourselves strong_.” Tristan thought. “ _And you’ve been proof of that_.”

“ _Yugi, I promised that I wouldn’t tell your parents_.” Tea reflected. “ _Would you have been mad if I did?_ ”

* * *

Yami stared down at the closed door once more. His heart pounded against his chest with anticipation. He wanted to be by Yugi’s side during his final match against the Shadows.

“ _Yugi was always by me_ ,” he reflected. “ _He was so brave. He was always so willingly to place himself before others in times of danger. His courage was something I haven’t seen. He had a pure soul. But now… He hasn’t been at all like himself. And the Shadows wish to test his heart…_

“ _Yugi_ …”

Yami remembered the pieces of the past he saw about his partner. His own heart ached once more as the action and words entered his mind. He didn’t understand why anyone would act so cruel to someone who just wanted a friend. Despite the pain, he was grateful the young boy survived it and pieced together his own heart.

“ _Yugi, you’ve managed to endure harsh times nearly on your own. I know you have the ability to make it through whatever the Shadows have for you. You can be strong with your own heart as well_.”

* * *

Tears finally stopped flowing down the teen’s face. A small amount of pain remained in his heart, but it slowly vanished. He felt a warm sensation enter him, similar to what he felt after he fainted in the Shadow Realm at Duelist Kingdom. He wasn’t sure what took place but was glad he had the comfort and compassion of all of his friends by him.

“My friends… believe in me.” Yugi whispered to himself as he placed his hands over his chest. “Like before… I can feel it… But… but what am I… supposed to do?”

The small adolescent stood up. Trembling, he turned away from the pit and took a step forward.

The Shadows zoning in from behind him froze. When the boy took another step closer to the classroom, the Shadows moved back a little.

The teen stopped. He was lost in thought once more.

“Why am I seeing myself?” he pondered. “I always told myself I have friends now. I… I don’t have to be alone. I’m happy to see them and know my family doesn’t have to worry about me… I’m not living in the past… am I?”

Opening his eyes, he saw himself in the hallway. When the two eyes met, he saw his younger self’s orbs were empty. What caught his attention was a Duel Disk on the smaller boy’s arm. Before anything could be said, a sudden flash was made, and the young adolescent felt the same device on his own arm.

“What—what is this?!” Yugi questioned out of disbelief. “Am I supposed to duel myself!? How can I if the game hadn’t been brought over to Domino yet!?”

Despite the time fringe, the smaller Yugi drew a card. He placed one card on the field and had Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700) on his side. He appeared done with his turn.

Yugi knew the monster in front of him was a card from his deck. He remembered he and the spirit of the Puzzle decided to add the card since it could be combined with two other specific monsters. He glanced down towards his own stack of cards.

He wondered what types of monsters laid in his deck. He wasn’t sure what would happen next, but he drew a card. He reviewed the ones he had in his hands, and he saw Celtic Guardian, Beaver Warrior, Horn of the Unicorn, Feral Imp, and Silver Fang.

“What is this!?” Yugi gasped. “All these cards are from when I entered Duelist Kingdom!”

He looked up and saw his younger self still waiting. He gazed around and saw there was no place for him to run; everywhere became a dead end. Even if there was a place to sprint, Yugi wasn’t sure what would lie ahead. Even though he hadn’t actually seen any other students, and there wasn’t anyone walking down the hallway, Yugi feared there might be some bullies roaming about that he never wanted to run into ever again.

“Is this all I can do?” Yugi pondered, looking at his hand. “Just play this game and see what happens?”

He pulled down his sleeve and saw his progress he made so far in the overall game. This was indeed his final challenge. Even though he didn’t know the full outcome, he knew this was his last chance to escape and see his friends once more.

“I play Celtic Guardian in attack mode!” Yugi finally announced. “And I end my turn.”

The familiar elf like creature appeared and was ready to go into battle (1400/1200). Yugi did not like the fact his opponent, which was himself, had placed an unknown card, but he felt it was best to keep his own monster in attack mode. The cards could not destroy each other, but the sword wheeling monster could easily be destroyed by the magnet-like creature if placed in defense mode.

The smaller boy drew one card. He placed Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800) in defense mode and ended his turn.

Yugi drew a card and observed what was on the field. He already was aware of the powerful combination that could be formed between the monsters. He knew he had to stop the plan as soon as possible; otherwise, he’d be at a disadvantage.

“My turn!” he declared. “I play my Feral Imp (1300/1400)!”

He placed down another card and continued, “I then activate my Horn of the Unicorn, increasing my monster’s attack to 2000! And I use it to attack Alpha the Magnet Warrior!”

A static type lightening grew around the horn of the demon creature. It shot the blast towards the gray, magnetic monster.

The other Yugi’s life points decreased to 3400. His eyes remained empty.

Yugi felt a shock. He yelled in agony. He gripped his chest as he tried to regain his normal breathing pattern. He did not understand why he suddenly felt such a powerful throbbing.

“ _What’s going on?_ ” he pondered surprised. “ _Why did I… feel that?_ ”

When he recovered, he looked across and saw his opponent draw a card. The smaller Yugi summoned Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts (1500/1200).

Yugi stared down at the fantasy creature. He recalled when he and Yami were constructing their deck for Battle City, Yami insisted they add this type of card, and Yugi had agreed. Reflecting the choices, he believed some of cards imitated Yami’s personality. Thinking back, he now believed some of the options demonstrated not only the differences between the two but also their skill levels.

He snapped into reality seeing his younger self had sacrificed his monster and summoned Archfiend of Gilfer (2200/2500).

“ _No!_ ” he mentally gasped. “ _Now his monster’s attack is higher than my own!_ ”

The giant monster swooped down and crushed the Feral Imp.

Yugi cried out in pain. He tried his best to maintain balance. He waited a moment before drawing a card. He viewed what he had and tried to form a strategy. He did not wish to be attacked directly by such a powerful card. He decided to place one card in the Magic/Trap area and a monster face down in defense mode.

The other Yugi chose to attack once more.

“I activate my facedown card!” Yugi announced. “Mirror Force! Archfiend of Gilfer attack is bounced back and destroys your monster!”

The red fiend type monster was destroyed.

Both players underwent a strong pain slamming into them.

Yugi cried out in agony, perplexed why he was feeling such throbbing again. He placed one hand on his chest. He still felt the warmth from his friends. He wanted to be with them before the end of the year was up, like he had been for Tea before entering high school. He drew one card.

“I sacrifice my Celtic Guardian and summon my Summon Skull!” Yugi explained his turn.

The familiar fiend type monster made an appearance (2500/1200).

Yugi was glad this was one of his monsters he kept while sharing a deck with Yami. He ordered, “Summon Skull! Use Lightning Strike to attack directly!”

The beams of light struck the smaller boy, and he fell to his knees. His life points plummeted down to 900.

When the attack was made, Yugi underwent the same pain. He fell to the ground. He looked up to see his younger self was already standing and placed one card in the Magic/Trap area.

“ _Should I… attack?_ ” Yugi tiredly pondered as he struggled to stand. “ _Or… does that card… have some sort of trap to it?_ ”

He examined his side of the field. He had one monster on his side. It took him awhile before he could summon something powerful. He wasn’t sure what other monsters lurked in his deck nor his adversary’s. He decided to play it safe and end his turn by saying, “I place one facedown.”

The smaller Yugi drew a card. He activated Brain Control.

Yugi gasped seeing his Summon Skull leave his side of the field. He already knew what would be coming next: The skeleton fiend monster attacked directly with its sharp claws. Yugi screamed in pain. He fell to the floor once more. He then felt something trickle down his face.

Slowly, he lifted one weary hand on the side of his face. He felt something warm. Looking at his hand, he gasped seeing blood had stained his fingers. He then glared towards his younger self and noticed the other Yugi also had red gush on his face in the same area.

He panicked.

He made the connections between the monsters and the pain he felt.

He finally realized what type of game he was playing.

“ _Has this all been… a Shadow Game!?_ ”

He remembered right before he was in the mysterious forest a flash from the Puzzle quickly occurred. He became confused why he was playing all these games. He then realized his darker half tried to warn him but could not for some reason. He looked at his deck.

He knew if this was a Shadow Game, he needed to defend himself. Although his opponent had lower life points than him, if the Shadows continued on with their normal pattern, he knew he may be absorbed by the darkness. He needed time to think of a plan to save himself. He placed another monster in defense mode and switched his Summon Skull to defense mode as well.

The younger Yugi placed another monster in defense mode. He then sacrificed the two monsters and placed a different card on the field. On his side emerged a purple wizard with a green staff that had 2500 attack points.

“That’s the… Dark Magician.” Yugi gasped.

He glanced at his deck and noticed none of the cards he drew was the dark mage or any cards that could be used in a combo with his favorite card. He questioned what type of deck he was using and what his opponent had even if it was himself. He panicked, unsure what else he could use to defend himself. His depression began to swallow him once more.

Even though Dark Magician was his favorite, it was also the card his darker half used often in battle. Yugi debated his relationship not only with the monster, but with Yami as well. He did not know if he really was worthy enough to have the card and the strong pharaoh by his side.

Yugi closed his eyes and whispered to himself in a defeated tone, “What can I do?”

**To be continued…**


	11. Without His Second Heart Part 2

**Chapter 11: Without His Second Heart Part 2**

Yami anxiously waited for the door to open. He prayed he would see his partner again. If not, he feared the Shadows would take not only Yugi but himself as well. He knew he could not live out his purpose unless Yugi wielded the Puzzle. He also knew he would be locked away in darkness forever.

He shuddered; he couldn’t stand being alone again. He had been filled with bliss and peace whenever he was around his light. Sorrow filled his heart at the thought of being separated from Yugi once more.

Suddenly, a sharp pain slammed into his heart. He grunted in agony and waited for the throbbing to past. He placed his hands on his chest. Even though the games were for Yugi, he felt what Yugi underwent.

He assumed it was because of the connection he had created with Yugi over their friendship bond and not just through their link. He also believed the other adolescents felt the same thing as well. He glanced up at the door way.

“Yugi… please be ok. Find the courage to make it through… like you had in the past.”

* * *

“ _This is a Shadow Game_.” Yugi thought as he zoned out. “ _What am I supposed to do?!_ _I… I can’t win either way_ …”

Because his opponent was himself, regardless of who attacked, both players received physical damage. Yugi didn’t want to attack his favorite card. He just couldn’t. The purple magician was what assisted him in tight battles against his toughest opponents.

He shut his eyes tightly.

He clinched his fists hard.

He wanted to run away.

Feeling his arm burning once more, he knew he couldn’t give up. He had a game to finish. He had to find his own strength, like he did before the first challenge, in order to be reunited with everyone. He had to win.

“ _But how can I play against a powerful card like Dark Magician?_ ” Yugi pondered. He looked at his hand and what lied on the field. His younger self had a powerful wizard as well as one facedown. He, on the other hand, had two monsters in defense mode and his own facedown. His concentration was interrupted seeing his favorite card trying to attack.

“ _NO! I can’t be attacked if I want to see my friends one last time!_ ”

He defended himself by lifting one hand and announced, “I activate my Spellbinding Circle!”

The purple wizard was now caught in a golden lite circle with strange blue symbols on it.

The teen had to think of something. Although the monster could not attack, he wasn’t sure what his adversary would draw next.

Throughout the past few rounds, it appeared Yugi had his deck constructed from the time before his awareness of the spirit of the Puzzle. Yugi was curious about which cards were by his choice and which ones came from the former pharaoh.

The younger Yugi appeared to not have any more moves.

The adolescent drew a card and brainstormed any new ideas that could help him out of his predicament. He refused to attack as well as be attacked by his favorite card even though the monster appeared to serve Yami more.

“ _What am I supposed to do next?_ ” Yugi sighed. He feared the cards on the field and the ones in his deck. He was unsure how he would survive this round. Terror overflowed his mind thinking about the possible next set of cards he had no idea how to beat: The Egyptian God cards.

He took a look at his hand and noticed how much he was shaking. He was nervous. His hands were like this whenever he was frightened. Glancing across, he saw his younger self’s hands were shaking as well.

* * *

Outside in the real world, Joey, Tea, and Tristan waited anxiously.

The sleeping teen’s breathing became rough and heavy. His facial expression turned from ordinary to worry. He shifted a little beneath his sheets. He moaned as though he was in actual pain.

Everybody became even more concerned. They knew from past events their little friend was now in trouble. But they could not do anymore other than wait and hope for the best.

Tea noticed not only the terror expression on her childhood’s face but also his hands. She observed them and noticed how they were shaking. She held them tightly. Ever since the two were young, she was aware of how badly Yugi’s hands would shake whenever he was scared, which was often since he was a timid child and lacked any courage and self-confidence.

Flashback

“Yugi, your hands are shaking,” a young Tea noticed. “Everything ok?”

“Um… Y-Yeah,” a young Yugi lied. “I’m just… a little cold.”

Tea was unsure of what to say. She knew her friend was fibbing; the classroom they were in was fine. She believed her companion was being his normal, timid self, but she did not know what he was afraid of. Like how some people nibbled their nails or twirled their hair, Yugi’s hands would tremble. She smiled when an idea came to her mind. She reached for Yugi’s hands and covered them with her own.

She grinned as she said, “Then let’s keep them warm.”

End Flashback

“ _Don’t give up_.” Tea continued to mentally cheer for her companion.

Joey kept his eyes on Yugi, but his focus was split. He remembered how much trouble he had while he was in the Shadows. He survived by the courage and strength of his friends. Even though Yugi was a gentle soul, Joey believed he needed to be push a little.

“Come on Yug!” he shouted, causing the other two adolescents to look at him surprised. “We’re all here for you man, so keep on moving forward towards the light!”

* * *

Yugi noticed his hands stopped shaking. They became warm. Closing his eyes, he smiled. He was always filled with joy whenever his childhood friend would hold his hands. He saw how his younger self’s hands stopped trembling as well. Yugi placed back his concentration on his duel.

He needed to conceptualize a way to end this match without hurting himself. The only option he had was bringing both his and his opponent’s life points to zero at the same time. However, he was insecure about what card would be drawn next. He decided to place another monster in defense mode and end his turn.

The other Yugi drew a card. He placed two cards faced down in the Magic/Trap area. He also placed a monster in defense mode. He then pointed to his Dark Magician, and the purple wizard vanished. As it did, the trap card cast on it dispersed, and in the monsters place came another magician (2000/1700).

“Dark Magician Girl!” Yugi gasped.

Because Dark Magician was in the graveyard, the female wizard gained 300 more attack points. The monster in the pink and blue outfit went and destroyed one of Yugi’s facedown monsters.

The teen braced himself as one of his monsters was desolated. He then drew a card and pondered about his next move.

“ _Summon Skull has 2500 attack points, and Dark Magician Girl right now has 2300 attack points…_ ” He assumed if he brings his opponent’s life points further down there would be an easier way to bring both their life points down to zero.

“I switch my Summon Skull to attack mode!” Yugi boldly stated. “And I’ll have him attack Dark Magician Girl!”

The fiend type monster gathered up a powerful wave of electricity. It then flashed its attack towards the female wizard. However, the younger Yugi activated a trap card.

“ _No! That’s Magician’s Selection!_ ” Yugi cried out. “ _It allows for any face up spell-caster type to negate my attack! The card also allows for the user to destroy any face up monster with lowest attack points!_ ”

The Summon Skull’s attack faded before it had hit its target. The same monster was then eradicated.

The teen could do nothing more except place a monster facedown. He ended his turn.

The other Yugi drew a card. He sacrificed his facedown monster and summoned Jack’s Knight (1900/1000). He had his magician attack and destroy Yugi’s facedown monster. He then had his new monster attack Yugi directly.

The adolescent stood his ground as he received damage. He inhaled and exhaled heavily trying to maintain his balance.

The other Yugi did the same.

The teen’s life points dropped down to 2100. Tiredly, he drew a card. He observed the monsters across from him. Jack’s Knight was a powerful monster; Yami had combined many powerful moves when Queen’s Knight and King’s Knight were out in the field as well.

“ _Yami and I have different strategies_.” Yugi noticed. “ _I was able to bring my opponent’s life points to 900 while my opponent cut me almost in half in one turn_.”

He doubted his dueling skills. He could only place monsters in defense mode. He felt he was running away. He looked at his cards and noticed there was still something he could to protect himself.

“ _Yami may be the one dueling, but I was the one who chose these cards before we knew about each other_.” Yugi reminded himself. He placed down the magic card Brain Control. He took away the male knight monster and brought it over to his side.

“I sacrifice my facedown monster, as well as Jack’s Knight, and summon Gaia the Fierce Knight!”

The two monsters vanished, and a purple knight on a horse came to the field (2300/2100). He could not attack Dark Magician Girl since the two possessed the same amount of attack points. He only placed down a card in the Magic/Trap zone and ended his turn.

The other Yugi drew, then placed a monster faced down. He pointed to both of the monsters. The two cards vanished.

“ _What? Why is Dark Magician Girl being sacrificed?_ ” Yugi questioned. His eyes widened seeing what monster came out in the field. On the other side appeared a vast, black dragon with solid red eyes.

“That’s the… Red Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000)!” he gasped. He remembered how hard his friend Joey underwent in the game of Duel Monsters to earn it.

The card demonstrated his title and strength as a duelist. The same monster was also connected to the blonde teen in the first Shadow Game of Concentration. He remembered how the tall adolescent went through Battle City to reclaim his card and prove himself.

Yugi allowed a tear fall down his cheek. He remembered while Joey was under Malik’s control, he sacrificed himself for his first friend in high school. He closed his eyes to reflect.

“ _I didn’t want Joey to die… He had something to prove to himself… He needed to be strong for himself and his sister… I gave him the Puzzle so Yami could live, too… Everyone continued to stand strong… even when things were going from bad to worse._ ”

He then thought about his relationship his darker half.

“ _Yami goes around with me even though he has no memories… I sometimes thought having no memories would be better because then I wouldn’t have to suffer from my past… But… What if Yami suffered from terrible memories as well?_

“ _Doesn’t he have any good memories? That wouldn’t be fair to him if he just forgot them… He never wanted to play those Shadow Games… He knew what the consequences were… but he had to… to save people from their own darkness… I… I don’t want him to do it alone…_ ”

Yugi swallowed a hard lump in his throat as his eyes became even more watery.

“ _I… I want to be by him… and help him regain his memories and defeat the Shadow Games_.”

Yugi glanced up. His eyes enlarged witnessing his younger self and the rest of the game slowly vanished. He then felt a warm sensation on his arm. He pulled down his sleeve and grew surprised the final gash began to disappear.

Everything around him went from darkness to light. He covered his face with his hands to block the brightness. He then was lifted into the air but felt his whole body become heavy.

“What’s going on!?” Yugi gasped shocked.

* * *

Yugi awoke in his room. He sat up and heard blissful, friendly voices, warming up his heart. He glanced around and saw how excited Joey, Tea, and Tristan grew. They were all cheering and relieved the event was over. He then noticed the spirit of the Puzzle was in the room as well. Yami had a calm smile and gave a thumbs up. He vanished from sight to allow his partner to enjoy his freedom with his friends.

“You did it!” Joey cheered.

“I’m so glad you’re ok!” Tea smiled.

Yugi grew too stunned to say anything. The duel he was in shouldn’t be over: There were still life points and monsters for each player.

“ _Did I_ _win_ _by accepting… my Destiny?_ ”

He only wanted to help his darker half regained his memories. And now he was out of the Shadows and in reality.

“Yug? What’s wrong?” Joey finally asked after noticing how distracted his petite companion appeared.

Yugi looked up and saw how everyone was concerned for him. He struggled to find an answer. He looked down at his sheets and quickly mumbled, “Just… a lot on my mind.”

His brain remained baffled about the events. He looked at his arm and saw only two cuts remained, the ones from the games he lost.

“Why don’t you let me bandage up your arm?” Tea offered sincerely.

The small teen nodded. The girl whom he card for washed away the remaining blood and carefully wrapped around a snow-colored gauze. Yugi looked at his limb once more. He didn’t understand why the marks had remained.

“ _Is this to remind me… of my Destiny?_ ” he thought cheerlessly.

“So how was it!?” Joey asked with excitement and empathy. Even though the games were always hard, coming out as the victor was satisfying; the player survived a realm of darkness and defeated the problem that lurked in his heart.

“I… err…” Yugi tried to answer, but his mind turned very hazy, exhausted after the five trials he underwent nearly alone. The first and last rounds were the hardest for him to face. He never expected for the games to have the twists that they did. He then felt something on his stomach. He lifted up his sheets and pajama top and saw someone had placed a heating pad on his stomach.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I just wanted to be sure you were all right.” Tea said with a soft smile.

Yugi looked down once more. He figured his friends now knew about his physical illness. He was again lost for words.

“You may have won, but you should still take it easy.” Tristan advised.

“Yeah, he’s right.” Joey agreed. “Maybe if you feel better we can have a duel later!”

Yugi closed his eyes and placed one hand on his head. He still tried to figure out what happening around him.

“ _Does that mean… everything is back to normal_ ,” he questioned.

He felt everyone looking at him once more. He didn’t want to talk about what happened to him nor what he stayed stressful about. He decided to speak up by asking, “So… how was school?”

“It was ok.” Joey replied.

“Worried about falling behind?” Tristan asked.

“Well…” Yugi trailed off. He originally was anxious to not miss class or any homework. However, he would still need to miss a few more days of school before he could even be slightly considered to go back.

“I’ll get your homework and worksheets.” Tea happily volunteered. “And we’ll all help you with your school work when you get back.”

“Thanks.” Yugi sighed tiredly.

“Good news is it looks like your fever is down,” she observed.

Yugi became confused about the statement. He placed one hand on his forehead. He never recalled having one at all. He wondered if the other illness was caused while his spirit was in the Shadow Realm. He was now worried about how much panic and grief stricken everyone had been.

The group stayed around for several minutes. They were all excited seeing their small friend, from what they assumed, was doing well. He entered and won the Shadow Games and now only had to recover from his stomach ulcer.

Yugi glanced around at his group. He was glad seeing everyone had come over, like they had in the past, but their time would soon end. He looked past his friends and towards his deck on his desk. He did not finish his duel in the Shadow Realm. He didn’t have a chance to see what he was capable of doing on his own. He vaguely recalled the amount of time he and the spirit of the Puzzle underwent to construct a well thought out deck to go against any opponents.

“ _It just seems as though it’s really Yami’s deck_.” Yugi thought. “ _He’s the one in the duels… not me…_ ”

“We’ll go ahead and let you rest.” Joey finally said as he saw the boy with the tri-color hair seemed groggy. He also understood a duelist needs to recover after a Shadow Game and be prepared for the next challenged that could occur at any moment in their young lives.

“See you around, Yugi.” Tristan added.

The two males left the room to allow the ill teen spend some time with the one he cared for.

Tea stayed behind for a while longer. She had so many questions to ask her childhood companion. She remembered the spirit of the Puzzle had mentioned the small teen underwent an excess amount of stress and was now suffering from a physical illness. She was also curious about the games Yugi had to play. She wanted to know, but she knew she had to leave and allow her friend to recover. She also believed the two souls connected by destiny needed to chat first about the predicament Yugi was in and be prepared for their unfortunately next challenge.

She decided to ask, “Will you be all right?”

“Yeah,” the boy answered with a tired smile. Knowing all his friends would be worried about him over night, he decided to ease his pal’s mind by saying, “I’ll talk about what happened later.”

“Ok.” Tea agreed with another soft smile. She turned around but before she left she said, “I’ll see you later when I bring your stuff. But take it easy, ok?”

Yugi only nodded. His watched as his female companion left.

When the door closed, he shut his eyes and sighed. He wasn’t sure how much time went by, but he felt he had a very long day. He also knew he was about to have a long night ahead. He partly opened his eyes sensing his darker half had returned.

“That was all a Shadow Game… wasn’t it…” Yugi stated more so than asked.

The spirit was taken aback by the sudden assumption. His partner already displayed a serious attitude rather than his usual cheerfulness and playful tune. The boy figured out what had lied ahead for him without the need of his help.

Yami nodded, “I was about to tell you, but I was unable to. The Shadows kept me from assisting you. How did you find out?”

“I was able to figure it out… during my last game.”

“What happened in the final event?”

“I was playing a round of Duel Monsters…”

“I suspect your opponent was just a figment created by the Shadows and Puzzle to test you.”

“I was being tested?” Yugi questioned, shooting a glance towards Yami. “By the Puzzle?”

“Yes,” the older boy nodded. “The Puzzle wished to test your heart. To secure you were willing to accept your Destiny and assist me to stopping the Shadow Games and finding my memories.”

Closing his eyes, the small teen was conflicted for how to feel. He was curious about his purpose in life, but his found answer felt hollow. He wondered if he would be tossed aside like a broken game when he was done with his destiny. He didn’t want to be treated in that manner but knew he could not fight what was set before him. The five trials were a strong example of that.

He struggled between his emotions. A part of him felt relieved he was needed for something bigger than himself, but he also felt as though he was only being used.

“ _So this entire situation with me playing these games… dueling myself… feeling all this pain… was another test from the Puzzle? It wasn’t to help me in any way? Is that all I am!? A vessel to the Pharaoh and nothing more!?_ ”

He wanted to scream in shame and disgrace when he suddenly felt a large wave of pain enter his stomach. He grasped his abdominal area and cried out a little.

“Yugi!” Yami bellowed as he rushed over towards his partner.

For a moment Yugi was incapable of concentrating on anything. His agony became too great to focus. His entire mind and body were growing very weary from not only the five trials but from his long, tedious, emotional journey as well. He just wanted to sleep and never wake up.

As the sting began to diminish, he slowly repositioned his physique on his mattress.

“Are you all right?” Yami asked after seeing the boy appeared fine.

Yugi remained mute. He wasn’t well physically, mentally, spiritually, nor emotionally, but he could not find the energy to speak at all.

The spirit was unsure of what else to do but saw his partner seemed to not undergo anymore pain.

“Are you feeling sleepy?” he finally asked.

“A…. a little.” Yugi replied.

“I can imagine.” Yami empathized with.

He understood the challenges in facing a threatening game and be lucky enough to come out the winner. The Shadow Games were harsh and required great amount of energy to play. Although Yugi had participated in some of the challenges, the entire games stayed very difficult. Yami also understood the teen was also still ill.

He advised with care, “Go ahead and sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Yugi closed his eyes and thought, “ _Then what_ is _going to happen to me after I complete my destiny?_ ”

**To be continued…**


	12. Choices

**Chapter 12:** **Choices**

The teen with the tri-color hair woke up sometime the next morning. He slept throughout the entire evening and night of the previous day. A little moan slipped through his lips. His stomach caused him a little discomfort, but the pain was not as great as before.

He tilted his head and glanced towards his clock. He hadn’t realized he slept through most of the morning. He changed his view towards his ceiling. His friends were at school while he was still stuck in bed.

He longed to be with them before their time was up; graduation was approaching sooner and sooner. He understood with each passing day the time where everyone would leave for their own path was coming. He was frightened at this and depressed by it.

Yami noticed how upset and worried the young adult became despite just waking up. The other day the boy had completed his five trials but was completely baffled upon the aftermath. He thought back towards his horrific visions of his partner’s past. The boy’s grades were low, and perhaps it was the reason Yugi was anxious about having his work done before the whole stomach ulcer incident came into play.

//Don’t worry,// Yami tried to reassure. //Tea and everyone else agreed they would assist you with your homework when you return to school.//

Yugi sighed. He felt like a burden. He caused his friends to be perturbed about him during school hours, and they would now spend their spare time assisting him with his work he was capable of completing on his own.

//Everything will be taken care of.// Yami tried to comfort his apprehensive friend.

The teen only nodded. He shut his eyes and fell back asleep.

His darker half took a seat and smiled, glad that the boy had won the Shadow Game. He now only had to wait for his companion to recover.

“ _Things were hard in the past_ ,” he reflected as he watched his partner sleep. “ _But everything will soon be better_.”

In the early afternoon, there was a gentle knock on the door.

A tired teen opened his eyes part way. He tilted his head to the side a little.

“Yugi? Are you awake?” a woman’s voice asked.

“Yeah.” Yugi answered sleepily.

A woman with short, maroon hair entered her son’s room. She had with her a phone in her hands.

“Your father’s on the other line,” she informed softly. “Would you like to speak with him?”

The boy nodded with fatigue but also joy. In the past he always turned excited hearing from his father, for the man was busy with his job and traveling. Now that Yugi was older, he was more patient and tried to take every opportunity to speak with his dad. He slowly sat up and rubbed one of his eyes. He accepted the phone after his mother handed it to him.

“Hello?” he said, still a little sleepy.

“Hello, Yugi?” asked the opposite end with care.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Heh, it’s good to hear from you. Heard you received a letter from Domino University, know what it regards?”

“I… I hadn’t a chance to read it yet.”

“I think it’s quite nice you’re thinking about attending; I went there, you know.”

“Yeah, Grandpa told me.”

“Ah I remember my times there… I got around on a scooter while everyone else took their skateboards or bikes. Guess you’ll need one as well.”

“And a laptop, too.”

“Yes, your mother and I have been preparing for your future ever since you’re were little. But if you decided to go elsewhere, I’m sure we can find a way to work around what you want.”

Yugi became silent. His conversation with his father finally registered in his hazy mind. He had forgotten about some of his problems before entering the Shadow Realm. He appeared to have a fever when in actuality he was playing games for his life. Now that he was back, he still never received his answer. He was supposed to help the spirit, but he still had a future of his own, a future partially decided by his parents who wished to see him in college. He did not know what to think. He wanted to take charge of his own will but still wasn’t sure how. He felt he was still relying on everyone and not the strength of his own.

“Hello? Yugi?” the other line asked.

The teen snapped back into reality. He decided to change the subject, “How’s your trip so far?”

“It’s going fine… I heard though you weren’t feeling well, everything all right?”

“Yeah…”

“Well it’s not everyday someone gets a stomach ulcer. Should I cancel my trip and come back home?”

“What!? No!” Yugi shouted, causing everyone to become alarm. He looked around embarrassed.

“Err… I mean… I’m fine… I’m,” he swallowed a lump in his throat. “I’m almost in college, Dad. I’ll be ok.”

“If you say so,” the other line said. His tone gave away his amusement about his son’s antics.

“Really, I can take care of myself,” the boy tried to persuade. “Here’s Mom.”

Yugi handed the phone over to his mother. She accepted the device and walked out as she continued on with speaking to her husband.

The teen stared down at his sheets. He only shouted his response because his father had worked hard for his position. Yugi believed it would be unfair for his dad to take off time from his job and not earn his income all because his irresponsible son had fallen ill. He was glad he did not worry his parents so much after the completion of the Puzzle and meeting new people. But now he was worrying them even more because he was still sick.

He looked at his wrist. Below his pajama top laid a bandaged arm. He was lucky no one else had seen them. He was betwixt of what he was in control of whether it was the future or his everyday life. His stomach tightened a little. He winced in pain as he grasped his abdominal area.

//Yugi, are you all right,// asked his spirit friend.

The adolescent nodded after the sting left. He slowly lowered himself back down on his mattress. He did not feel too tried like he had moments before. After the brief conversation with his parent, he was awake and had difficulty falling back to sleep.

//Is everything all right between you and your father?// Yami asked, noticing his light’s tone and tensed expression.

//Yeah…// Yugi replied honestly.

//Then would you be all right if your father came and visited you?//

//… It wouldn’t be fair…//

//What do you mean?//

//… Dad worked hard for his job. It wouldn’t be fair if he had to leave early just to take care of me.//

//But Yugi, it would be fine if he left for a bit. There wouldn’t be anything wrong with having a visit from someone who cares about you.//

//I know… But… I’ll be fine.//

Yami nodded; he understood his partner and did not wish to have him waste his energy arguing. He also trusted the boy, for he always appeared cheerful whenever he talked with or about his family.

Yugi kept his hands over his abdominal area on top of the blanket. He reflected the conversation between his father, mother, and darker half. He closed his eyes and tiredly thought, “ _I’m not a child anymore_.”

He awoke a few hours later and glanced around. He saw he was in his room alone. He assumed the pharaoh was in the Puzzle to give him some privacy. He felt a little relief; he didn’t want to hear any lectures nor orders telling him to sleep and take it easy so he could recover.

He sat up as he rubbed his eyes. He heard voices from downstairs. He could tell one of them belonged to his mother, and the other was a stranger. The house was quiet all around. He listened carefully and heard pieces of the conversation.

“So how is moving towards a bigger city going for you?” Yugi’s mother asked.

“It’s so swell!” answered the stranger, who appeared to be a woman. “There are a _lot_ of people though.”

“I can imagine so!”

“How’s Domino treating you?”

“Fine, I have a nice job here, and my husband has been doing plenty of business trips.”

“Is that hard on the family?”

“It was difficult at first, but we’ve all gotten used to it. He really likes seeing new cities and meeting new people.”

“And how’s your son? I can‘t believe you actually have a kid!”

“Oh stop it! Yugi is such a wonderful child!”

“Is he at school right now?”

“No, he’s up in his room. He’s been feeling a little unwell.”

Yugi tighten his sheets between his hands. His mother had given him a compliment to someone he had never met before. However, he did not feel as the wonderful child his mother had said: He believed he was causing her an inconvenience as he should be in school and not at home with his stomach pains.

He heard footsteps approaching towards his room. The door opened, and Yugi saw his mother.

“How do you feel,” she asked with care, seeing her son awake.

“Fine,” the boy answered. “Um… Mom, who’s that downstairs?”

“That’s an old friend of mine from high school,” the woman responded with a smile on her face. “She’s visiting from out of town.”

Yugi spotted in her eyes she was lost in her memories.

“Oh,” he replied. “Then, are you going to show her around town?”

Yugi saw his mother’s smile faded a bit. He felt his heart sank knowing he caused his mother dismayed by something.

“I’m taking care of you now,” she finally answered.

The teen turned guilty. He stared at his sheets thinking. Since the woman had a friend from high school over, there must have been a gap in the years they’ve known each other. Yugi did not wish for his mother to miss an opportunity to catch up with an old friend.

“Mom, why don’t you go ahead and do that,” he suggested.

“What?” she asked, surprised about her son‘s idea.

“It’ll be… fine.” Yugi tried to persuade. “I’ll be ok… Really. And besides, Grandpa will be here, too.”

“Are you sure about that?” she asked as she cared about her son‘s wellbeing.

Yugi nodded with assurance. He knew had to take responsibility and not hold anyone back, which included family members.

The woman leaned over and kissed her son on his forehead.

“Go ahead and sleep then,” she said. “I’ll be back later.”

She left the room.

The young adult placed himself back on his bed. He couldn’t stand being a burden to his mother. The woman worked hard for her job and was lucky to see an old friend. Had he not been sick, she might have spent the entire day till late at night with her old buddy.

Yugi drifted off into sleep. He awoke in the middle of the night. He glanced towards his clock and saw it read two o’clock a.m.

“ _Guess I slept through a possible visit from my friends_.” he thought sadly. He looked towards his desk and noticed some textbooks and worksheets.

He assumed his friends still came by and dropped his homework and class assignments. He sighed with discontent. The reason why he was so anxious to not fall behind was because he knew colleges looked at students’ grades. Even though he wasn’t the smartest in his class, he tried even harder to bring up his scores so he would have a better chance to get into any college that would take him.

He shifted his view towards the ceiling and placed his hands to relax over his stomach above his sheets. Everything around him appeared different as objects were somewhat defined by the light of the pale moon in the vast sky above. Yugi wondered what time his mother arrived. He was curious whether or not she had a good time reuniting with her friend from high school. He also recalled she had stated his father enjoyed being in new locations with new people. He did not want to drag his father away from something he loved. He felt guilty once more.

“ _If I had been a sleep… then maybe Mom might not have gone out with her friend_ …”

The adolescent sighed. He remembered his mother’s companion couldn’t believe she had a child. He wondered why that was. He never knew what type of students his parents were.

Truth be told though, he loved his mother.

She always took care of him.

He loved his father, too, for the man would always place his family before himself.

He loved his grandparents as well.

They were around often and spend their time with their grandson.

Yugi began to ponder about his future past college.

“ _I wonder if I’ll ever have kids of my own. What they would be like? Would they like to play games, like I was fortunate enough to play with Dad and Grandpa? I just hope they won’t go through the same loneliness I did. I don’t want anyone to suffer in the way I did._

“ _I remembered how my family tried to help me out. I knew they meant well; families help each other out, but was I only more responsibility to them? I was embarrassed and too shy to speak up. I was ashamed about myself for being timid. Just like when I dueling myself._ ”

He noticed when he was dueling himself, even though the figment was created by the Shadows, Yugi believed the Shadows had captured his younger self perfectly:

A small form with no voice.

At that moment, his stomach made a strange noise. Suddenly, a vast, sharp sting slammed into him. The agony was similar to the first wave of pain that came right before he was rushed to the hospital. He bolted up from his position. He clutched one hand on his stomach as he cried out in agony.

//Yugi!// Yami called out. He raced out of the Puzzle sensing a strong, painful sensation from his light.

The ill teen closed his eyes tightly. One hand was positioned on his stomach while the other was clinched into a fist on his bed sheets. He breathed in gaps, trying to lower his torture level.

Yami dashed over towards the teen. He placed his hands on the boy’s shoulder for comfort. Although he had no physical hold, he wanted to show his presence for his small companion.

Slowly, Yugi made his way back onto his mattress. He still had his eyes closed, and his breathing remained rough.

Yami watched in pain but knew he could do nothing. He knelt down and replaced his hand on Yugi’s shoulder.

After the eternity minute passed, the boy was at ease. His fists loosened his sheets, and his faced relaxed a bit as his breathing became regulated.

//Yugi, are you all right?// the spirit asked in a calm manner but was very worried about his light‘s health.

//I… I think… so…// the teen answered tiredly. The pain he underwent stole his energy. He grew weary and felt too exhausted to keep up a basic conversation with his darker half.

//Go ahead and sleep.// Yami encouraged as he playfully brushed away the boy‘s bang from his face. //I’ll be here when you wake up.//

Yugi partially nodded in agreement. His breathing returned to normal as his last moment of discomfort left him. His form was completely out of stamina. Allowing himself to surrender, he entered back into the world of sleep.

Yami took a seat back on Yugi’s chair. He watched over his partner carefully.

“ _Yugi was fine until a few moments ago_ ,” he observed. “ _What now?_ ”

The teen slept without any trouble until the very late morning of the following day. When he awoke, he remained very groggy with his body aching and mind hazy.

//How do you feel?// Yami asked as gently as he could.

//Tired… But I’m fine.// Yugi answered weakly.

He closed his eyes and place one hand on his head. He felt a headache forming. The event that took place last night crashed into him like a harsh wave against a cliff. He then noticed an extra blanket on top of him.

//Your grandpa placed that this morning.// Yami explained softly.

Yugi persisted to be mute; he only shut his eyes.

Because there was no immediate threat, Yami decided to return to the Puzzle and allow his friend to continue resting.

After the spirit vanished, the adolescent lied awake in bed tiredly. He tried to relax himself so he would not endure another set of pain, like he had twice already.

Several minutes passed by, and they were quite peaceful. But then, the teen heard something from downstairs.

“What was… that?” he whispered to himself as he maintained the energy to sit up. He thought he heard familiar voices coming from within the game shop area.

Carefully, he stepped out of bed and wrapped a blanket around himself. He heard his grandfather speaking downstairs, and he made out some parts of the conversation. The talk was about Duel Monsters. Yugi knew the voices did not belong to his friends yet most of the sounds intrigued him.

Before leaving, he looked over towards his desk and glanced at the gold pyramid. He shook his head and told himself he needed to investigate the matter on his own; otherwise, he would rely on the pharaoh forever and could never face his own problems. Attentively, he walked down the hallway and down the steps. He walked into a bright flash and was now in the game shop part of the house.

“Hey! Look!” called a friendly voice.

Yugi blinked a few times and spotted four other young adults, one girl and three boys. Two of them were people he had recently met.

“Err… Hello Eichi and Madoka.” Yugi greeted.

“Hey, Yugi!” Eichi greeted happily. “I suppose this is where you live, huh?”

“Well, duh!” Madoka stated sarcastically. “The newspaper practically bolded all his information after he won Battle City and was mentioned in the K.C. Grand Prix.”

Yugi blushed; he was never too great with handling other people and became bashful.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed about being in your pajamas.” Eichi assumed. “I’ve seen plenty of people rush to class from the dorms in their pajamas.”

“Others are just too lazy to change.” Madoka laughed.

“Hey! I take offense to that,” another male asserted.

“Yugi, you know these people?” the owner of the Turtle Game store asked.

Yugi softly nodded.

“Oh please excuse us!” a third person with short, crimson hair exclaimed. “My name is Aoi, and this is Izumi! We’re all from Domino University and are part of the Duel Monsters club!”

The one named Izumi had short blonde hair and solid gray eyes. He walked over and shook hands with Solomon and Yugi.

“You’re the founder of the Duel Monsters club?” Yugi gasped surprised.

“Yes, that’s me.” Izumi stated calmly. “We all came to buy some cards. I was also hoping to hear your response.”

“Response?” Yugi blinked confused. “To what?”

“To the letter that was sent to you,” the president of the club clarified.

“Oh… I’m sorry. I haven’t had a chance to look at anything since I’ve been a little… sick.” Yugi stated as he glanced away, not wanting to disclose too much information.

“Aw, I’m sorry to hear that.” Madoka said with a gentle smile. “I hope you feel better soon!”

“Well, I’ll be brief about the letter.” Izumi informed. “Domino University is hoping you will accept their invitation to attend classes there, and you will receive a scholarship for tuition.”

“What!?” Yugi and Solomon asked shocked.

Izumi nodded and continued, “I was informed you had stopped by and showed some interest in our club and school. As president, I spoke with the administration office, and they were quite excited. You may not even have to pay for textbooks.”

Yugi grew speechless. He was too stunned to say anything; he never expected to receive such a gift. He debated if he should accept the invite, so he would not worry his family about money and he could possibly stay home.

“Of course, you don’t have to agree to this.” Aoi informed, understanding the pressure of the petite teen. “I’m pretty sure with your titles you’ll be able to attend anywhere. But we would really like if you could come with us!”

The teen gazed around at the college students. They all appeared exultant with what they were studying for while attending Domino University. He glanced towards the floor to think in silence.

“Well… I’m not sure…” he finally replied.

“Hey, don’t stress!” Eichi tried to comfort. “You still have plenty of time to make a decision. You can also just transfer to or from Domino University if you like. I know people who do that with community colleges. They start out at a community college and then move on to a university. Others take university classes during the school year and then summer courses at a community college and have their credits transfer. Some do that so they can graduate early or make up classes to graduate on time.”

Yugi swallowed nervously as he learned some new information. He wondered what bad habits he would carry along for his new classes.

“But it would be awesome if we could take that Duel Monsters art class together!” Aoi exclaimed excitedly.

“Duel Monsters art class?” Yugi asked surprised.

“Well, we don’t have one yet.” Madoka explained. “But Izumi is trying to work on it.”

Yugi glanced over towards the young adult with gray eyes. Although he gave off an icy aura, Izumi appeared to be someone genuinely interested in the trading card game and did whatever he could to make his vision a reality.

“I don’t see why not,” the blonde adult stated. “The game did originate in Egypt. We could get an H credit for history and an ART credit for, I dunno, designing our own card?”

“Wow!” Yugi said with amazement. He then became quiet. He wondered how the group in front of him got along so well. He knew college was built to help prepare students for taking jobs. He was curious if all these students were in the same position.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking,” Yugi began with his attention drawn to Izumi. “But do you plan to work with Duel Monsters all your life?”

“Actually, Izumi is doing stuff in business!” Aoi stated. “What a dork!”

“At least I _have_ a major,” the blonde grumbled.

“Hey! Having a major in English _is_ something,” the redhead argued back.

“But I’ll have a J-O-B after I graduate.” Izumi boasted with pride.

“ _Right_ , because having an internship at Kaiba Corp. is _so_ promising.” Eichi joined in.

“Not to mention the head boss is indeed younger than you.” Aoi chuckled.

“Yeah, I know.” Izumi sighed. “It does feel a bit odd.”

“Kaiba Corp.?” Yugi questioned.

He was lost in thought once more. He never dreamed working with Duel Monsters, other than holding a job in a game shop, was possible. He then remembered his rival, technically Yami‘s rival. The tall adolescent with brunette hair was a workaholic, who still went with what he enjoyed doing, even though it meant a constant battle between the C.E.O. and the former pharaoh.

“I apologize for their childish behavior.” Madoka said as she walked closer to Yugi’s side. “They just get excited whenever Duel Monsters is brought up. I think the game is the only part of Izumi that is a little… dorky. No offense!”

“None taken.” Yugi chuckled, knowing some of his hobbies were a bit odd considering his age. They were what also caused him to feel lonely.

However, over time, he met new people and kept the friends he had now. The young adults in front of him met once in a while for a meeting about a trading card game. Yugi was a bit envious of the older peer group, for they appeared to have an easier time in making their goals come true.

“Well, you can always reply through email as well.” Izumi informed towards the small teen. A pair of soft, purple eyes met with another pair of icy, gray ones. “I’ll just let the administration office know that you were under the weather.”

Yugi smiled a little, “Thanks.”

“Well, we need to get going.” Eichi said, looking at his cell phone for the time. “I’ve got class to get to.”

“And I got a paper due at eleven-fifty-nine p.m.” Aoi stated freely. “And I haven’t started yet!”

“Dork.” Izumi sighed.

“I hope you feel better!” Madoka said towards the high school student.

Yugi smiled and nodded a little.

The group said their goodbyes and departed.

Yugi watched as everyone left. He wondered how many people he would have a chance to meet and be friends with over Duel Monsters. He rubbed his eyes, feeling sleepy.

“They sure bought a lot of cards.” Solomon chucked, happy about the sales he made. He looked over towards his grandson and asked, “Have you made your decision?”

“Hmm?” Yugi said as he glanced over. He brainstormed his answer but stayed uncertain. He remembered he still had a lot to do. He rubbed his right hand on his left arm. Underneath his sleeve he felt the bandages wrapped around. He finally answered, “I’m not sure.”

“Well, go ahead and take your time,” the elderly man advised. “We’ll think of something if you want to go someplace else. But a scholarship like this isn’t easy to come by.”

“I know, Grandpa.” Yugi agreed as he leaned against the counter.

“How do you feel?” Solomon asked, changing the subject.

“Ok.” Yugi answered. He turned around and headed back towards his room. “I’m still a little tired, so I’m going back to bed.”

He walked up the steps and entered his room. He went towards his bed and placed himself back on the mattress. Despite being a little groggy, plenty dwelled on his young mind. He wanted to take the chance and ease his family, but a part of him still dreaded attending Domino University alone.

//Are you feeling all right?// Yami asked, picking up distress once more from the boy. He was at first puzzled to see his partner out of bed but became relieved seeing the young adult was fine.

//Just tired.// Yugi answered.

//Try and take it easy.// Yami advised gently. He did not wish any more stress to enter his partner and upset his stomach. He knew his friend was still recovering. //We can talk later.//

Yugi sighed as he closed his eyes. Once again he reflected about the previous conversation. He knew it would be best for him to take the scholarship; many students work hard for money in order to pay for tuition. Some of them were still in high school but needed the money to attend classes. He recalled his own mother had earned at least one scholarship in her college career.

With all these different options, he felt overwhelmed. He knew he had to assist his darker half, but he still wanted to enjoy his current time in high school. However, he didn’t want to be like a lost puppy on a college campus. The notion of reminded him of the duel between him and his younger self. His heart was bothered at the thought.

//Try and relax your mind.// Yami opined as softly as he could. He felt his light experiencing more stress and tried to prevent any more problems from arising. He could feel the boy’s stomach threatening to tighten up into a ball.

Before going to sleep, Yugi thought with gloom, “ _I just don’t know what to do_ …”

**To be continued…**


	13. Silent Accepting

**Chapter 13: Silent Accepting**

Yugi found himself walking down a long, dark hallway. Towards the end of the dim pathway he spotted the back of his friends, even his darker half, in their school uniform. He tried to call out for them, but they did not hear him. He tried once more, but they still did not turn around.

He raced towards them, but they were moving at their normal rate while he was slowly being left behind.

“Wait! Stop!” Yugi cried out.

He was soon engulfed by a giant flash of light. He covered his eyes for protection. As the area dimmed, he unlocked his pupils and found himself in a new place with large, distorted buildings. Walking around, he saw many people more than twice the size of his height. They marched along with no distinguishable features. They shuffled quickly as they tried to get to their own destination.

The teen became scared. He soon found himself with a scooter and a laptop. Both objects grew very heavy. He was unsure why he even had the items with him. He immediately dropped them. He tried to run to see if he could find anyone familiar.

He felt his heart beat hard against his chest. With each pulse, he experienced a small pain in his upper body. Despite this, he knew he couldn’t stop.

He kept sprinting until he ran into other young adults. They appeared infuriated by his action. They approached him in a deadly silence.

Yugi’s eyes widened. He knew from past experiences what was about to take place.

“Please! Don’t hurt me!” he begged. “I’m sorry!”

//Yugi! Wake up!//

The teen with tri-color hair awoke startled on his bed absolutely terrified. His stomach immediately tightened up into more knots. He gasped in pain.

//Yugi! It’s all right!// the same voice called. //It was only a dream!//

Yugi found himself in his room with the spirit of the Puzzle by his side. The sting within his abdominal area soon vanished. He placed one hand on his head as he shut his eyes. He felt someone touching his check. He began to calm down but stayed frazzled.

“ _Just a… dream?_ ” he questioned. He recalled having gone through something similar before. He had mumbled something to his darker half right before the Puzzle took him into a Shadow Game.

The teen sighed with discontent. He tried to shift into another position, but his body scolded him by causing him discomfort. He groaned a little in pain.

//Yugi, don’t move around so much.// Yami advised, feeling how fatigued his partner was. He also felt the teen appeared restless once more. //Just try and relax.//

Yugi attempted to return to sleep but was afraid. He looked out his window and saw a giant moon in the sky. It was still night out. There would be no point in causing anyone to become alarmed, for everyone within the house was asleep.

//Did you want to discuss the nightmare?// Yami offered, always ready to listen to whatever his light had to say even if it was just small talk.

The adolescent shook his head. He believed there would be no point; his nightmare was reality. He may have been frightened about his future, but he wanted to handle the situation himself and not always lean on his partner for assistance. Trying to calm himself down, his mind brought up old pieces of his conversation.

" _Yami, there is a time when people act together and become stronger. Unity and our friendship have been able to overcome anything… We stood by each other's side… You helped me when I wanted to rescue my grandpa from Pegasus. Joey was there for me even after being brainwash by Malik. I was there for you during Battle City and our fight against Dartz… But… but there are times in everyone's life… in my life… where we have to take a journey alone_."

The words he had said towards the spirit of the Millennium Puzzle had been spinning around in his mind.

He had gone through the Shadows and back.

He had been offered a scholarship to attend Domino University.

He was helped by his friends with his missing school work.

His family had been taking care of him while he is ill.

“ _I won the last game by accepting my Destiny… Maybe it would be best if I accept the scholarship… But… is that all I can do? Can I not change anything by myself? Maybe I really cannot change what has been set before me_ …”

He fell back asleep and awoke the next morning. He managed to sit up as he ate his food. Although he had difficulty swallowing his mashed banana, he washed down the fruit with a few sips of his chocolate milk. After taking several bites, he placed down his utensil and stared emptily at his meal. His grandfather came into the room. Few words were exchange before the elderly man left with the tray of food. After his grandparent left, Yugi’s mind wandered.

He won the Shadow game and accepted his Destiny, but a part of him felt incomplete. He understood he needed to help the pharaoh fight off the Shadows and reclaim his memories. Yugi debated if he should spend his time helping the pharaoh before himself; he had always done the same in the past for his other friends.

He placed aside his own needs and fear to help his friends when they had a problem or doubt in their mind. He figured that was the best choice; he may have a life of his own, but he was still needed by Yami.

The young adult knew he was being watched by his darker half. He believed he needed to make a certain subject clear.

“Yami,” Yugi began firmly.

The former ruler looked straight over towards his partner. The boy cast his eyes laid out on his sheets. He was curious as to what his partner wanted to speak with him about.

“Yes,” he answered calmly. “What is it?”

He waited anxiously as the boy gathered up his courage.

“I want to help you find your memories.” Yugi stated boldly. He didn’t want to hold anyone back. He believed he was no help to his darker half with him in bed all this time.

“I understand,” the spirit replied with a tiny smile, grateful that his light still wanted to assist him even after all the times they had faced their enemies. He was glad his partner also wished to help in finding out who he was but believed nothing would be accomplished if the boy continued to stay in bed. “But you need to make sure you recover first—”

“I mean it!” Yugi shouted as he turned towards his darker half.

Yami was taken aback hearing the teen raise his voice. His eyes met with another pair filled with determination but also a hint of sorrow. He wanted to protest but could feel through their link the boy growing weary.

He turned perplex why the emotion emitting from his light was not the same feeling when the boy had stated a similar phrase after the two found out about his past life. The whole sentiment was different. He pondered about what he should do. As much as he wanted to speak with his partner, he knew the teen would not hear any words with his heart at the moment. He then noticed Yugi started to doze off.

“Yes, I understand.” Yami stated gently. “But go ahead and go back to sleep. You need rest.”

“I… really… do…” the young, ill teen mumbled as he placed himself on his mattress to sleep. He had no desire to be treated like a child anymore.

“I know…” the older boy stated as he placed his hand on Yugi’s cheek.

As the teen slept, his darker half debated whether or not those words would have been what Yugi would say even if he was on the brink of death. To him, Yugi was type of person who would sacrifice his own life for the sake of others. He would rather have a kitten be saved before he was sent to the hospital for external bleeding. Although the notion appeared real, he prayed nothing like that would ever happen to his light in reality.

Yugi stayed asleep for the remaining part of the day but woke up in the middle of the night in pain as his stomach churned. The strain was caused after suffering from another nightmare. A small groan passed his lips. He longed to sleep but could not as his mind kept active with constant questions with no answers. He was told by his spirit friend to relax, but he had trouble obeying. He pulled down on his sleeve and stared at the bandages.

He couldn’t lie in any other position. If he was on his side or stomach, his whole body would scream in pain. He didn’t understand why he had stayed sick if he accepted his Destiny. He had hoped everything would end so he could continue on with his life. He may not official be King of Games, but he believed he still had a journey of his own to be completed.

“ _N-no… I shouldn’t ask all these questions yet_ ,” he scolded himself. “ _I have to help Yami first… It’s not fair he was trapped in a Puzzle all this time and doesn’t remember who he is…_ ”

He sighed as he wanted to shift into a different sleeping position but could not.He allowed himself to fall back into a hazy rest. As he did, he thought tiredly, “ _Compare to him… I have it easy_ …”

Yami watched over his partner with care. He never wanted his friend to be tortured by the stomach ulcer that appeared to becoming worse.

“ _Please… don’t allow Yugi to suffer from anymore nightmares_ ,” he begged. He understood his partner needed to sleep but could not do so if he was haunted by more nightmares. He was also perplexed as to what else was bothering the teen. Even though he was able assist with kind words during the Shadow Game, there was nothing more he could do now.

The sun came up, and Yugi continued to sleep. He would at times grip his bed sheets and waited for his pain to diminish. Although his challenge had ended, the stomach ulcer was not healing. He had spent his minimum days of rest in bed, but no change appeared in his health. He hadn’t been eating as much either.

Yami became very worried about the matter.

In the afternoon there was a knock on the door.

A sleepy Yugi opened his eyes and saw his mother enter.

“Yugi,” she called out softly. “I know you may be tired, but I called over for a doctor to come give you a checkup. I don’t want your stomach ulcer to become any worse, ok?”

The teen sighed with vexation. He did not want to have any visits with any doctors. He already agreed to what destiny had set for him and did not want to be bothered with anything else. However, he understood the reasons behind his mother’s worry.

“Ok,” he answered quietly. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t bother to look up but could tell the kind gesture belonged to his spirit friend.

//I’ll be here with you,// the voice reminded tenderly.

Yugi sighed once more. He did not want the pharaoh to be always around him anymore. He did not want the spirit to become attach to him only to interfere with his own destiny. He wanted to look out for himself but was unsure how. He did not want to be heavy chain around the pharaoh’s neck. At that moment, he winced in pain. He squeezed his bed sheets tightly in an attempt to lower his agony level.

//I’m right here.// Yami repeated with care.

Slowly, the discomfort left Yugi. He did not want to admit it, but he still felt comfort for having his darker half by his side.

A young man walked into the boy’s room. He had short brown hair and wore a white coat.

“Hello, Mr. Muto,” he greeted kindly. “I’m going to perform a few tests that won’t take long, will that be all right?”

Yugi nodded slightly annoyed. He wanted to go back to sleep but understood these examinations were important towards his family, so they would know everything was all right with him.

The doctor walked over and placed his stethoscope on the boy’s chest. He listened carefully to his patient’s heartbeat. Yugi closed his eyes and tried to stay calm. Though falling asleep he remained awake. The man then placed the device’s cold end in a different area and asked for Yugi to inhale and exhale. The boy obliged.

“I know we use advance machinery for tests,” the young doctor began. “But I’m just going to use my hands and squeeze a little to see if I feel anything abnormal. Let me know if this causes you any discomfort.”

The teen simply nodded. His mother came over and removed his sheets a little. She then lifted her son’s pajama top above his waist, so the man could work with his patient’s flesh. As she did Yugi tightly but secretly held on to his sleeve, so it would not slide up and reveal his bandages. The doctor rolled up his sleeves and began to work. The lower area of the teen was checked out to be fine.

Yugi glanced up. “ _I know it takes many years of studying to work to be a doctor. I wonder if I have what it takes to receive a well-paying job if I work hard_.”

When the man squeezed the boy’s stomach, Yugi winced in pain. The professional took his device and placed it on his patient’s abdominal area. As the pain began to leave him, the teen waited impatiently for everything to be over.

“I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary,” the man announced. “But if his ulcer progresses to becoming worse, of if Mr. Muto does feel unwell, bring him to the hospital and we will do all we can.”

The woman nodded but held concern in her pupils.

Yugi closed his eyes and sighed. He was glad everything was done with but believed he caused himself to be even more of a burden to his family. He was not recovery fast enough for people to leave him alone. He knew he could not rely on his family and friends forever.

As the two adults left the room, Yugi could vaguely hear his mother question, “Could the illness progress if Yugi is mentally unwell?”

The teen’s eyes shot open. He gripped his bed sheets tightly with anxiety. He couldn’t believe what his mother had asked. He was too stunned to hear an answer from the doctor. Regardless of what he tried, he concluded he never could do anything right on his own. He felt trapped in a cycle that could not be broken.

Before anything else could be said, the woman entered the boy’s room.

Yugi glanced away from his mother. He felt too disgraced to even make eye contact.

The woman reposition her son’s pajama top and sheets.

“I know you may be sleepy,” she began sweetly, “but do you want something to eat?”

“…No…” the boy answered in a nearly dead tone. “I’m too tired right now…. I’ll eat later.”

“Ok,” she agreed as she left her son‘s room.

Yami witnessed everything that took place. The way the teen spoke matched the manner he answered his grandfather after coming home from the hospital and learning about his stomach ulcer. He wanted to comfort his partner and understood some of the stress that emitted from the boy.

“Yugi, I—” he was about to say something when he was interrupted, “Yami, I don’t want to hear this.”

“But Yugi—”

“Please… just let me be,” the teen begged sternly.

Yami was about to argue when he saw his partner’s eyes filled with sorrow and hurt. Rather than waste the young adult’s energy, he believed it would be best for him to grant his light’s wish.

“All right,” he agreed as he vanished.

The adolescent was finally left alone.

“ _Perhaps it would be best if I take the scholarship_.” he debated by himself. “ _That way my family won’t have to worry about tuition, and I can stay home… And Yami… I may not know what happens next but… he shouldn’t have to walk in darkness anymore…_

“ _But… what about everyone else? What am I supposed to do after I help Yami? Will… Will I have to be alone… again? Maybe if I just disappear… I won‘t really have to say goodbye to anyone_ …”

He sighed in defeat as he closed his eyes. He felt his whole body screaming to sleep, but his mind was too numb to listen. His brain scattered with even more questions. He allowed his physical form to rest, but he continued with having his spirit search for answers.

* * *

“ _The nightmare isn’t over… It’s… it’s just beginning_.”

Yami sat on one of the staircases in his Soul Room. He recalled those words Yugi had said right before the start of the Shadow Game.

He had only wanted to assist his partner but was rejected. He never felt such terrible, negative emotions come from his partner. Any problems that occurred in the past the two friends would talk about it, and he was always glad to see his light smile once more. He noticed he hadn’t seen the boy smile in the past couple of days.

“ _His body and spirit continues to be restless_ ,” he unhappily observed.

He did not understand why the teen was still unwell. The boy had won the Shadow Game and should had had his problems solved. That was the same formula that usually took place.

However, the adolescent needed rest, but he his mind was still active. He couldn’t relax until he was done thinking, but he could not think clearly because of his lack of sleep. The horrid cycle he underwent seemed unreasonable but was true. Yami did not comprehend the vicious pattern.

“Yugi… I only wish to help,” he mumbled to himself. “How can I if you won’t let me in?”

A barrier had formed between the two connected souls. The spirit of the Puzzle did not recall a time where Yugi had ever placed up a shield. The teen was always happy, and when he was not, he was willing to talk with someone. At times, some problems needed to be left alone while others had to be pried out of the shy adolescent. But now, it appeared he was purposely pushing everyone away from him.

Yami remembered how much Yugi really dreaded to be alone. He recalled how the boy’s heart would fill with ache whenever the notion occurred. He remembered in the past Shadow Games how much his light wanted to save his friends. However, there still appeared to be plenty of angst within Yugi’s heart.

His heart and his heart alone.

Yami had an idea of how the teen felt.

He hated being alone trapped within the walls of his Puzzle.

He hated not having anyone around.

He hated not being around Yugi.

At that moment Yami bolted up. He felt a dangerous amount of negative emotions come from his partner. He felt the boy’s stomach tying itself up into one giant knot with many little tangles underneath. He knew if matters became any worse Yugi may end up in the hospital once more.

He dashed out of his room. Sprinting down, he spotted many doors that kept secrets. They appeared they were teasing him for not knowing himself.

He longed to find out who he was but put aside his desire and placed Yugi in front of everything. He didn’t care if he never found out who he was; he would be too depressed if anything ever happened to Yugi again. The young boy had suffered alone in the past. He didn’t want his friend to suffer alone anymore.

“I’m sorry, Yugi,” Yami said as he ran. “But like a friend with a phobia, sometimes he must be exposed to what he fears most in order to be cured.”

**To be continued…**


	14. Attempt to Break the Cycle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Chapter may be a little emotional

**Chapter 14: Attempt to Break the Cycle**

Yugi paced quickly back and forth between the walls of his Soul Room. The entire area became dim over time. Plenty inhabited his scattered mind, and he was too active to rest. Tough questions bombarded his troublesome thoughts, and as much as he tried to search, he couldn’t find any answers to them.

He had questioned about Yami and the Millennium Items.

He had questions about his friends and what would take place after high school.

He had questions about his family.

He had questions about his college career and what he wanted to do with his life.

He stopped pacing and glanced down at his wrist. Although his physical form was bandaged, he still spotted the two gashes that remained. He panicked at the idea if his family saw the cuts. He did not want to worry them anymore than he already had. He began to pace once more.

His friends were relieved he had won his Shadow Game, but he still did not feel right. His heart—usually filled with joy, peace, and happiness—was now empty. As he lied in bed earlier, he realized the whole situation started when he played his final game. A small tear in his heart slowly allowed his positive thinking to slip out, like sand in an hourglass.

He felt hollow.

He hadn’t felt that way in a long time.

He was typically upbeat and always did his best in everything.

But his heart sank at the thought of departing from the present for a repeat of his past in his future.

He wondered if he was still living in the past.

He stopped treading as he grasped his abdominal area. He grunted in pain and hunched over. Despite being in his Soul Room, he still felt the agony of his stomach tightening up. He did not realize his problem affected his soul as well. When the sting released him for now, he returned to his inquires about the future.

He froze in fear feeling someone grab his arm. Trying to break free, he was calmed down a bit hearing, “Yugi, it’s me.”

Yugi glanced up and saw his darker half came in.

“I apologize for entering without permission,” Yami said calmly, “but I wanted to be sure you were all right.”

Yugi stared at the floor. He wished his other half was not there. He didn’t want to bother him with his own worries. After being quiet for a moment, the young adult answered quietly, “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” Yami sighed. “I felt a dangerous amount of negative emotions coming from you. I can see you are still suffering from your stomach ulcer that has yet to heal. Yugi, what’s wrong?”

The adolescent did not respond. The pharaoh was always around even when Yugi didn’t really need him, but he usually felt comfortable. He was betwixt about what to say. He had too much on his stressed mind to think of anything else. He did not know why, but he felt tears stream down his face.

Through their link, he could tell Yami underwent the same pain. He could feel the spirit try and embrace him. However, he knew he could not accept the amiable gesture as guilt consumed him once more. He rejected the kind offer and stepped away.

“Yugi, what’s wrong?” Yami repeated in a more sincere tone. “Please let me. I don’t want to see you go to the hospital if your condition worsens. I just want to be your friend and be here for you.”

Yugi understood he could not run anymore. His darker half was far more powerful than he was; the spirit could easily go through his memories if he wanted, finding out the answers but not fully understand them. Because he refused to talk, he feared Yami may resort to that option.

Yugi was finally cornered. He placed his hands on his heart. As much as it pained him to say, he knew where he needed to begin. “I… I shouldn’t call you a friend.”

The spirit turned confused. He had always seen them as a pair who got along well. Some differences lied between them, such as playing styles of Duel Monsters, but they still agreed on strategies.

He asked smoothly but a little anxiously, “What do you mean?”

“I… I can’t,” the adolescent struggled to speak. “It… it would be… wrong of me… to.”

“And why is that? Yugi, I only want to help you,” the spirit reminded gently.

“Yes… I know.”

“So you say, but you still won’t allow anyone else in.”

The teen remained quiet. His emotions swirled. He trembled between frustration and depression.

“Yugi,” Yami said, trying something else. “You were always there for me. Why can’t you let me be there for you?”

“Because I… I…” Yugi pondered his question. He wondered if he never allowed any of his friends in despite them always placing their trust in him. He knew, however, at least one of the answers towards his darker half. “I… I…”

“Yes?” Yami asked keenly.

Needing an outlet, Yugi shouted at the top of his lungs, “I… I was ashamed of you!”

Yami’s eyes enlarged, shocked at the great statement. He never expected this type of response from his light. He did not understand why the boy felt the way he did. He believed part of this was due to all the stress the adolescent endured for the past few days.

He could feel his lighter half becoming weary. Although he was hurt, he remained calm and continued his quest to assist his partner. “Why was that?”

“Because…. I… I was hesitant… of telling any of my friends about your existence.” Yugi began to act as though he allowed someone to see an old wound that should have been healed a long time ago. “After the duel between you and the evil spirit of the Ring at Duelist Kingdom, I was afraid of what my friends would think. They all assumed it was a dream, and I was relieved. They then forgot about it after we went to go rescue Mai from PaniK. And for a while, I was happy about that.”

Yami swallowed a lump in his throat. He never knew how much stress and hurt the young boy had carried with him over the years. Even with their friends, he was unsure how long his partner felt this way. He wanted to comfort his companion, but he knew this was the chance he was waiting for. The whole situation may hurt them both, but a little pain can sometimes cure the problem, like using alcohol to clean a cut.

Yami finally replied, “And why were you happy with that?”

“I… I didn’t want them to think… there was anything wrong with me….” Yugi answered quietly. “And then there was the duel… with Kaiba…”

Yami’s ears perked up. He already knew which situation the teen brought up. Guilt consumed him once more. He was insecure if he could ever live with some of the choices he had made. He closed his eyes and whispered, “I’m sorry for what I did.”

“There’s no need for you to apologize.” Yugi reminded once more even after telling the spirit the same phrase several times. “After the duel… I was a bit afraid of you… Everyone knew about you but… but I was scared about… something else…”

Yami opened his eyes. He was beginning to piece together more of the actions and feelings the adolescent underwent. He wanted to embrace the boy but stood his ground. He knew the beneficial part about all this was Yugi was finally talking about his problems. He reminded tenderly, “But your friends stood by your side.”

“Yes but… I was still… afraid…” Yugi whispered, his eyes becoming watery.

“Of what?” Yami asked with an even tone.

“Of… being… alone… again…”

Wrapping his arms around his shoulders, Yugi fell to his knees and broke down crying.

He did not want to return to school only for everyone to ignore him. He feared his friends would assume he was mental and did not wish to be associated with him. The whole situation was difficult enough once, and Yugi doubted if he could handle it again. He knew he never wanted to repeat his past once he started college. He would miss everyone too much, and he deeply believed he was still too shy to make any friends on his own. He wanted everything to stay the way it was. Even though he spent his time dueling villains, he wanted to enjoy his time with his friends and not think about his past nor worry about his future.

The dark spirit couldn’t ignore the matter any longer. He raced over and reached for his light. He finally understood the pain the boy tried to conceal. He comprehended his partner only wanted to experience and to appreciate the emotions and activities he did not have a chance to years ago. This was something the teen had yearned for and was finally given his wish.

Yami gently rubbed Yugi’s back while trying to show his compassion for the teen.

Yugi buried his head into his darker half’s shirt and continued crying. He was ashamed of himself. He had a great friend whom he pushed away. He cried even harder.

Yami did not care his shirt became stained with tears: What mattered was someone was there for Yugi Muto.

Yami was glad he was finally there for his light. The one thing Yugi had ever wanted was a true friend, but he received constant mockery and insults. He remembered all the harsh words that were rebuked as well as the actions that took place. Tears streamed down his own face recalling a horrific incident he was the one responsible for.

He tightened his grip on Yugi as he whispered solemnly, “Yugi… I am _truly_ sorry for what I did.”

“What are you… sorry for?” Yugi asked as he looked up.

“All you wanted was a friend, but you received nothing but pain.” Yami began. “When you did obtain friends… I… I betrayed your trust… when I played… that forbidden card.”

“What?” Yugi questioned confused. He knew which incident his darker half mentioned. He had already forgiven his partner for the act and had always reminded him whenever the spirit felt doubt. What he did not understand was what Yami had referred to. He asked curiously, “When was it that I received nothing but pain?”

“When… you were younger.” Yami chocked.

Yugi’s eyes amplified. He pushed his darker half away. He stood up and took a few steps. Having his back turned, he wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

The spirit grew confused. “Yugi I—”

“How much do you know!?” Yugi shouted, his back still turned.

“What?”

“How much do you know!?” Yugi repeated with a hint of resentment in his voice.

Yami swallowed another lump. Very rarely had he ever seen his light angry. The only exception was when the two faced a villain who had harmed the innocent. Yugi always hated seeing people who had nothing to do with the matter get hurt. He held a strong belief that revenge would not solve any problem and greed was their downfall.

Yami knew from here matters will only become harder, but it had to be done. He wanted his light to recover from his stomach ulcer before it would progress. He understood he had to act quickly before the boy’s stomach acted up again.

He took a deep breath and replied, “I only saw… that you were beaten up by a group of boys… and teased harshly by the girls.”

“How did you see all this!?” Yugi demanded to know, a strong vexation drenching in his tone.

“From… the Puzzle,” the spirit informed as he closed his eyes. “After you became ill and started to play the Shadow Game… the Puzzle showed me pieces from your past…”

Yami wanted to continue, but he heard his other half scream, “Stop it!”

He flashed his eyes open, assuming the order was for him. He became shocked seeing Yugi clutching his own head, as though he were in pain.

“No! Stop it!” Yugi screamed.

“Yugi!” Yami stood up and raced over. “What’s wrong!?”

“Stop it!” Yugi repeated.

Tears reformed on his face. Voices in his head become unbearable.

Because the two were in a Soul Room, the other half heard them. Yami’s eyes expanded hearing harsh words echo against the walls.

“ _What exactly can a small boy do?_ ”

“ _What child would ever get friends just sitting around playing games by himself?_ ”

“ _What a loser_.”

“ _Nothing but furniture_.”

“ _Better off being invisible_.”

However, the words were not from the students who had taunted the teen.

The words and voice were from Yugi himself.

“Yugi! Get a hold of yourself!” Yami ordered, tears forming in his eyes.

The teen couldn‘t obey. He was drowning within his own sorrow.

“Yugi please!” Yami begged. “This isn’t like you!”

“Then who am I!?” Yugi spat, still sobbing. He broke away from his darker half’s hold. His breathing was rough.

The two fell into a silence, a stalemate.

Yami pondered the question, wondering if it was a rhetorical one. He had always seen Yugi as someone who was pure, innocent, kind, and forgiving. He was baffled what caused Yugi to suddenly change. He questioned if this was one of the reasons why the adolescent was not recovering from his stomach ulcer. He tried to think of a response.

“Yugi, you are my light.” he began calmly. “You are the one who gives us all hope. You never gave up even when times were harsh. You were the one who solved the Puzzle so—”

“But what does that mean!?” Yugi interrupted, his heart twisting between the kind words of his darker half and his own self-doubt.

Yami grew stunned at his partner’s reaction.

“Just because two people know each, does that mean they’re automatically friends!?” Yugi questioned as he became frazzled.

Yami grew quiet once more. He had the prose repeat in his head as he allowed his partner to calm down. He recalled he, himself, was in a situation similar to this. Yugi had to try a few ways before he could break into his train of thought.

He finally answered evenly, “No, two people who meet are not automatically friends.”

Yugi grew stunned hearing, “Unless there is a spark between them. Yugi, you and I met, and over time our bond had overcame many obstacles, both for me and you. Why can‘t you see that?”

The teen shut his eyes and allowed more tears to fall.

Yami felt through their link the anger and frustration the adolescent underwent slowly fading. However, the emotion was replaced by sorrow, guilt, and shame.

“I don’t know,” Yugi whispered in a defeated tone. “I… I just don’t know.”

He fell to his knees once more as he wrapped his hands around his stomach.

Yami watched his partner with anxiety as he rushed back over. He reached for his light and pulled him closer to himself once more. The ill adolescent cried in agony as his stomach continued to painfully twist itself into more knots. Each coil caused a vast wave of throbbing that became unbearable. Yami understood the problem attacked his friend directly on his soul. He feared his attempt to undo the tie only caused the bind to grow tighter. He believed only Yugi could untangle his own stomach by understating his emotions.

He had to construct a way to assist his companion before anything worse occurred. He gently brushed his fingers against Yugi’s back to sooth the teen, showing his affection to the soul.

Yugi loosened his hold on his abdominal area as the sting diminished but was vaguely still present. He lied tiredly within the arms of his darker half. He had his eyes shut but was breathing heavily. He still appeared deeply afraid of something.

Yami knew he had bought some time before anyone in the real world would notice the agony on the teen’s face. He began to think.

“ _When I went through my own journey without Yugi, I was in a sea of doubt and depression. I felt the darkness within me grow without the presence of my light. Yugi did what he could to save me. He even chose to have himself sacrificed in my place… He also forced me to have a duel with him… But that was his plan… I needed a hard slap in the face before I could continue on… But…_

“… _Yugi is a far more gentle soul than I am. He is innocent and still chooses to hold faith in me and in mankind…. If I am to assist my friend, then I will need a different approach_ …”

**To be continued…**


	15. Smiles and Tears

**Chapter 15: Smiles and Tears**

Yugi slowly unlocked his heavy pupils. His mind was groggy. His abdominal area endlessly caused him great discomfort. He winced in pain trying to shift his position.

“Don’t move so much,” he heard a delicate voice tell him.

He obeyed; his entire form screamed out in agony, his own soul exhausted. He rubbed his tired eyes and glanced around. He remembered he was within his own Soul Room with his darker half. Realizing he had his head rested against his friend’s chest, he moved away slightly. He never wanted to appear weak even though it was only him and his other half.

Glancing up towards his partner, he whispered, “Ya… Yami?”

“I know this will be hard,” the spirit began gently, “but we need to solve this problem. If not, then you may be admitted to the hospital once more. Is that what you want for your family and friends?”

Yugi changed his view against the ground. He had recently woken up after his moment of rest, and already he was being interrogated. He recalled he was in the middle of a debate with someone who still considered himself a friend before he nearly passed out. He chastised himself, believing he caused more of an argument with himself rather than alongside his darker self. His companion only wanted to assist while the former persisted to push the latter away.

Closing his eyes, he sighed and shook his head. He never wanted to be a burden to his family, nor did his wish to worry his buddies he had managed to create such a strong bond with, a bond that he never wanted to lose.

“I know allowing others in is still something you may not be accustomed to,” Yami discussed in a caring tone. “But if you don’t let someone in, if you don’t speak about the problems you have, how can you expect yourself to have faith in others? How can you expect them to have faith in you?”

The adolescent remained quiet. His companion brought up a fair argument. He truly wanted to trust others and have them trust him. He held strong confidence within his darker half, and he often forgets that the pharaoh needs someone at his side, a light to guide him from his dark path, a blaze to assist him to find his truth hidden within his forgotten memories represented by a twisted maze.

Yugi was about to stand up when he abruptly felt another painful sting bash his stomach, his soul. He grunted a little as he clasped his eyes tightly. He felt his body move closer towards his partner. He then felt someone holding onto him with a firm grip on his shoulder.

“You do not need to rush out your feelings at once.” Yami advised in a soft whisper. “Take your time.”

As Yugi rested, a part of him enjoyed the tender moment between him and his other self. He took another pause to think, unclear of what else he could talk about. He already mentioned his feelings towards his friend and felt slightly ashamed for what he had said.

“I… I don’t know… what else to say…” Yugi admitted in a whisper.

“What else is on your mind?” the spirit suggested.

“I… I don’t know…” the teen repeated quietly.

Yami glanced towards the ground. He was surrounded by toys and stuffed animals, symbols of his friend’s natural nature. The same personality which caused his classmates to shun him, resulting in him feeling embarrassed about himself.

The pharaoh pondered about what the younger one could bring up. He had been by his light’s side but stayed lost as to what truly was bothering the boy. Yami truthfully wished to not place Yugi on the spot light and force the boy to speak. However, if Yugi did not talk, he may withhold his own emotions, causing his body to continue to suffer underneath his stomach ulcer, like he had been doing. He changed his view towards his partner. The small teen had his eyes shut, but Yami could tell Yugi was pondering something.

The young adult brainstormed about his possibilities. His darker half stood by his side despite all the lashing he received. His friends entered his Shadow Game as he was being tested by the Puzzle. His family took take care of him while he was sick.

“ _Everyone continues to do their part because they care about me_.” Yugi reflected. “ _But… what am I supposed to say? I just want everything to stay the way it is_.”

The spirit of the Puzzle noticed his light was struggling with something. He called out gently, “Yugi?”

“I… I just want everything to stay the same.” a tiny voice finally confessed.

Yami was glad to have a little break through, but he was uncertain of what Yugi meant and needed some clarification. “What do you mean?”

“I… I… I just want everything to stay the same,” the adolescent repeated. “I don’t want to start college and be separated from everyone. I like having my friends at Domino High School. I like that I’m not worrying my family as often as I did. I’m glad I’m able to play Duel Monsters with people who like the game for the game. I like being with you and having you by my side.”

The teen paused, a tad tired from his list but was relieved about what he finally placed into words. Both he and his other self felt one of the many knots in his stomach unfold.

Yami was pleased to have uncovered something he was looking for. His smile quickly faded sensing the coil return, causing his light to cringe in pain once more.

“ _So… he’s afraid of his separation from his friends_.” Yami observed.

To keep his light from receiving too much throbbing at once, he gently held onto his companion and played with the boy’s bangs to keep him calm. He became content knowing he had something to work with. He recalled how the young one placed others before himself. He was willing to sacrifice himself for everyone he cared about. However, even the strongest of souls cannot stop what is set out in front of them. Time moves forward, and everyone has their own place to be, even if it means the departure of close ties with others.

“You don’t want to move on to college and meet new people?” Yami asked.

Yugi thought about his prose. Although the idea sounded nice, it may not work out as planned. He shook his head for his response.

“And why is that?” Yami questioned. He figured if he kept his examination in a calm manner it will keep the boy talking without struggling to give too much of his privacy. Even though speaking would bring a little heart ache, the act would at least distract the boy from his ulcer pains.

“I… I like the way things are.” Yugi answered truthfully after some thought.

“What is it you like?” Yami asked, wanting details.

“I like being able to hang around with Joey, Tristan, Ryou, Duke, and Tea.”

“What about your classes? Your teachers? Your peers?”

“I like that most of my classes have my friends. I like that school isn‘t as hard as it used to be. It‘s actually fun looking forward to class and seeing everyone. It‘s nice to have group projects with people who care about me and hear what I have to say. And at lunch, I like having people to sit with and talk to rather than eating by myself and playing games alone. I also can say to my friends that I would see them later… It‘s nice going someplace knowing someone will be waiting for you…”

“And you met such people because you reached out for them. Do you think you could do the same in college?”

Yugi became quiet. He then shook his head.

Yami grew confused; he failed to understand the motive. The adolescent always was cheery and light hearted. “Why not?”

“…Be… Because….” Yugi stuttered, unsure how he could say the answer he knew in his recovering heart.

“Because why?”

“Because… I’m not at all brave like you.”

The teen closed his eyes and allowed tears to fall. Even with all he managed to accomplish, he still did not view himself like his darker half, the person that he aspired to be.

“Brave?” Yami questioned perplexed. “Yugi, you possess courage of your own. You stood up for yourself plenty of times before.”

“That’s different.”

“Different how?”

“Different as in…” he sighed as he continued. “I only met everyone… because of you… If I didn’t solve the Puzzle, then I wouldn’t have met Joey, Tristan, Ryou, Duke, or everyone through Duel Monsters… If it were just me, I wouldn’t have been able to. I’m not brave like you are.”

He recalled back to the time when he and everyone was trapped within their favorite monsters at Duelist Kingdom. Although what the blonde male had commented about the two Yugi’s was only a joke, the words hit the small teen’s heart hard. For a second he was reminded how weak and uncool he was. He wanted to prove his strength not only to his friends but subconsciously to himself as well. His triumph was short lived. He allowed his emotions to take advantage of him. He gave himself permission to fall prey to an obvious trap.

He sighed with great discontent. Everyone was rescued because of his heroic other self.

Yami analyzed the response. He figured his partner still suffered from low self-esteem even after all he‘s been through. A part of his heart sank as he never realized how much pain the boy carried in his heart even among the people close to him. He also did not understand why the adolescent was comparing himself to him.

“ _Perhaps Yugi feels this way because we are part of each other_ ,” Yami deducted. “ _We have separate souls in his body. For quite some time, no one could tell the difference between us. Yugi would even assume whenever I took control he only underwent a minor black out…_

“ _Yugi, why do you do this to yourself? Why are you comparing yourself to me?_ ”

He then recognized something after thinking about the times the younger one had mentioned. He answered gently, “Yugi, I only played the games. Once the challenge was completed and you were fine, I retreated back to the Puzzle. I only ensured the ones who caused others harm were punished. You, on the other hand, were the one who had greeted others and offered your friendship. Most of them see their errors in a different light because of you, and most of them accepted your kind gesture.”

Yugi stayed quiet. He felt a hand touch his cheek as he heard, “If it were me and just me, I may have never been able to trust the people you do now.”

“But you are still the one who is strong.” Yugi quickly replied.

Yami was thrown off. He realized his lighter half had been thinking about this for quite some time, perhaps even before he became very ill. Remaining calm, he decided to remind his friend, “You are brave. You wanted to save Joey after he was possessed. You were willing to sacrifice your own life for him and everyone else.”

The teen nodded. He had the same notion during the final match of his trial.

Yami decided to keep persisting with his train of thought as the idea had captured his partner. “And what about the Shadow Games you faced? You managed to complete them.”

“But I didn’t win them all…”

“So? Doesn’t it count even a little you didn’t give up?”

“Only because my friends were there… They didn’t give up on me even when I wanted to.”

“Then basically, your definition of staying strong is to complete all trials without the aid of a loyal band?”

“I… I don’t know... I wouldn’t know.”

With plenty of experience, Yami knew the tricky Shadow Games. The play was designed to test the heart of the player. Yugi won with his companions by his side and not his second heart. The spirit tried a new idea, “The first game you played, Concentration, you said you had matches with your friends.”

“Yeah, I did. I wanted to try and find you since I knew you were trying to find me at the beginning… I was taken back at first.”

“Perhaps the Shadows mimicked what lied deep within your heart, even if it was something you yourself were not aware of.”

“…..”

“What happened in the second game?”

“I don’t want to talk about that one.”

“Ok, that’s fine. But it would be best to learn from our mistakes. What about the one after that?”

“… I should have chosen that one first though… since it was easier… All I had to do was place together a puzzle box… which turned out to be the eye on the Puzzle. How stupid could I have been to not have realized that?”

“It seems it would have been easier, but it was something you were familiar with, yes? Perhaps like in that match, in life, we should take everything one step at a time and go in order. If not, then our arrogance will be a downfall.”

“…..”

“And the game in the fourth trial?”

“I was playing on a board game… My piece was Dark Magician. Even though I didn’t know who my opponent was, the game piece was Blue Eyes White Dragon, and it moved on its own.”

“Rivals to the bitter end. This was the other game you lost, correct?”

“…..”

“It’s important to get back up even after we suffered defeat.”

“My final one was a game of Duel Monsters… that was never completed.”

“And you played against yourself.”

“That… made it very hard.”

“Yes, it’s always difficult to face your past. But you accepted what was in front of you. Maybe you could start to let the past go.”

A small spark in Yugi‘s eyes flashed. He had told his partner similar thoughts and ideas when the spirit was depressed over his choices he had committed. His eyes lowered as he then answered, “I… I’m not sure… about that.”

“Why?”

“Because… If we don’t learn from our past, we end up making the same mistakes in the future. Maybe this is why we need to work together… to find your memories… so there won’t be anything like this ever again.”

“Heh, perhaps this is why destiny brought us together.”

“…..”

“I’m very grateful, though, that I have someone like you as my partner.”

“… Someone like me? Why?”

“As I said before, you had brought light to me and everyone. You also continue to move forward, even when times were tough, whether it was a Shadow Game or just everyday hardships.”

Yugi sighed. He tried to allow his conversation with the spirit sink it, but a few portions were harder to register than others.

Yami noticed this. He decided to bring up another valid point, “Perhaps sometimes you feel your actions mean nothing. But, Yugi, they can mean everything to one person.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like Tea for example. Didn’t having her around bring a smile to your face when you were feeling down?”

“Yeah, it did, actually.”

“And what about when you’re around your other friends? You wanted to be there for Joey and Tristan when they had tough times, right?”

“It’s never fun to go through something so tough and scary on your own.”

“Which is why I’m glad we are partners through this. You may see this sometimes, but your light and smile has helped me a great deal.”

Yugi remained silent. He closed his eyes. “ _Can having someone just being here mean so much to someone? I know I felt the same way when I played with Tea when we were young. And I guess it’s the same with Joey and Tristan… But… what’s going to happen after graduation? What’s going to happen to Yami after we defeat the Shadows and get his memory back? I… I don‘t think I can be strong on my own…_ ”

The spirit hugged the boy after he gasped in pain. After allowing the teen to rest for a bit, Yami observed his friend. The boy struggled with something once more. Rather than losing his opportunity, he decided to keep the boy in this world. He gently called, “Yugi?”

“Yami I…” the teen struggled once more to say what had been on his mind since the beginning. “Because people give each other strength, and man was not made to live alone… then… then what is a hero without teammates? How can someone take on a task alone in a dark future?”

Yami turned quiet; the questioned was heavy. He started to string together some of the replies he heard earlier. He believed, however, that it was best to keep himself as the interviewer instead of having his partner avoid exploring his own thoughts. He recalled the adolescent feared being separated from his friends, and most of his distress began with the mentioning of higher education.

With an idea, Yami asked, “Is that what has been bothering you? Are you afraid you won’t be able to handle yourself on your own?”

Yugi glanced away as his heart struggled with the truth. He lowered his eyes in shame as he confessed, “I… I didn’t tell you… because… I didn’t want to… worry you.”

Yami looked at the floor. He understood his partner’s emotion; he had felt similar in the past. During the late hours of the night, he would walk aimlessly in his endlessly maze, lost in thought about his missing past life or reflecting about his options while being with Yugi. Sometimes the teen felt the angst and loneliness he experienced. Yugi would ask if everything was all right, and sometimes he would tell a white lie.

The only difference was that the spirit was only a spirit, while the boy would suffer physical aches.

Yami could eclipse his own emotions. He often wore his dower appearance whereas Yugi would seem as though something truly had upset him. Wretchedness does not look right on the cherubic face as oppose to someone who was a born leader. Darkness could contain anything, and nobody would notice. Light on the other hand is in plain sight.

“Why does a hero need to take on journeys alone?” Yami asked.

Yugi looked up and saw how crestfallen his other half turned. He glanced back down and replied, “Because… because there are times in everyone’s life… when they need to do some things alone…”

Yami reviewed the quote the boy had said before falling underneath the dark spell. Yugi managed to complete his task and prove to destiny he was willing to continue with what was set in front of him. However, even now, he was unsure of what specifically Yugi was mentioning, or even if he had any ideas at all.

He needed some examples. “Such as?”

“Well… Such as…” Yugi swallowed hard as he whispered, “… c-college…”

“You said earlier you did not wish to leave high school, as well as everyone.” Yami brought up carefully. “You also feel you are not brave. Is this what has also been a bother?”

“Kinda…” the boy replied, feeling embarrassed.

“You mustn’t worry so much.” Yami tenderly advised. “Even if you are afraid to start something new, what is wrong with that?”

It’s just that… you’re so brave and—”

“Yugi, what’s wrong with admitting you are afraid of something?”

“I… Well… If… If there was fear… then… then what would be accomplished?”

“Is admitting you have fear the same as not enduring the pain of doing something you may fail at?”

“I… I dunno…”

“Do you remember the few days before the start of Battle City? You wanted so much to assist me, and even though the Puzzle was stolen, you chased after the man possessed by Malik back to when he wanted revenge.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You didn’t know what path you were entering. You didn’t know what lied ahead.”

“Other than a trap.”

“And you went and faced it on with the duel. Even as the warehouse was burning, you placed together the Puzzle once more.”

Yugi sighed, “But the reason we made it out alive was because everyone risked their lives. If not then… I dunno what would have happened.”

“Doesn’t even the fact you risked your life for me mean anything?”

“I… well…”

“And what about before Duelist Kingdom? We did not know much about each other, and you weren’t even aware of your friends sneaking on board to join you. You entered the tournament to save someone you cared about.”

“But all of that could have been in vain if I had lost… I would have lost Grandpa… And I could’ve lost you.”

“And let’s say even if that were true, don’t you think your friends would have stayed by your side? You all may have even continued to keep fighting, because that’s the person you are, Yugi.”

The spirit lifted the boy’s chin. The two pair of purple eyes met.

“Yugi, even though the future is unclear, you may be afraid, you may even fail at crucial moments, but life was never guaranteed to be easy.”

Yugi’s stomach and chest tightened at the bitter truth. He closed his puppy pupils as he whispered in defeat, “Yeah, you’re right.”

A few tears slid down before he heard, “But what would have happened if you did give up?”

Yugi glanced back up towards his other half. “You said it took you eight years to solve the Millennium Puzzle, and during those years you have faced many battles, both physically and emotionally. What would have happened if you did give up? What if you never completed the Puzzle?”

The questioned stung the adolescent‘s heart hard. Images of his life quickly swept past his mind. He couldn’t imagine life without his other heart.

“I… I guess we would have never met… I wouldn’t have been friends with Joey and Tristan… and maybe I would have lost Tea… She was always out going, and I wasn’t… We may have even grown apart…”

Yugi’s shoulders rose and fell as he cried. The arguments his friend brought up tugged at his heart and spirit. He had seen similar point of views but not in the same manner.

“And what about the people you had met after its completion?” Yami continued to challenge his friend. Although he wanted to comfort his light, he still needed to keep the boy moving.

The small teen pondered the questioned. He had met with so many different people after he had saved the world numerous times with the gained courage from the spirit.

“Well… Maybe Kaiba and his brother would still see the world is a cruel, uncaring place… Maybe Mai would still be a lonely duelist… Maybe Duke would still be consumed by greed… And maybe Malik would still be controlled by his darker half…”

“What about yourself? Do you think you would still be someone locked inside his room alone?”

“I… I dunno… Sometimes I feel as though I still am…”

“Why do you say that?”

“Be…cause…” Yugi broke away from his companion’s hold. He ignored the pain in his stomach as he brought his knees closer together to himself. He whispered whitewashed, “Here I am… in my room once more… sick again… all because I can’t make at least one decision for myself… by myself…”

“Again?” Yami questioned uneasy. “Yugi, were you ill like this before?”

The young adult remained silent.

As much as the spirit wanted to further question the event, he chose to ask something else, “And what decisions can you not make for yourself?”

“… I can’t make up my mind about what I want to do with my life.”

“And why must you settle such an important decision right now at this very moment?”

“Because college is very important! It’s always being shoved down our throat! If we don’t get a good education, then we won’t live a good life!”

“Who is to say what is good and what is bad?”

“You… You wouldn’t know… and it doesn’t matter for you…”

“Yugi—”

“You live in the Puzzle! You are nothing more than a spirit! You were a _PHARAOH_ in a past life! _YOU_ were the one to make all the decisions! _YOUR_ opinions mattered! They were seen as facts!”

Yami became silent once more, unaware how much thought his light had placed into his issues. He wished the boy would stop comparing himself to him. After allowing the younger one to breathe, he asked, “Why do you believe your opinions don’t matter?”

Yugi sighed frustrated, “It just feels everything is already predetermined for me.”

“Are you referring to your options about college?”

“What options…”

“Yugi, I’m sure your parents just want what’s best for you. As you said, education is important.”

“Yeah, but… where am I supposed to go?”

“What’s wrong with the university you investigated earlier?”

“I… I dunno…”

“You did like it, didn’t you?”

“Well… They did have a Duel Monster’s club… And they are offering me a scholarship… Grandpa says those aren’t easy to come by… Even my mom got one and studied overseas for a semester.”

To certify the smaller one would not do any further damage to his stomach, keeping his position in a locked one, the older one gently pulled down his legs and arms. As he did, he questioned gently, “What is it you don’t like? You’ve been told by everyone you have the option to go elsewhere.”

Once again, Yugi was quiet.

Yami carefully examined his light’s eyes that faced down. He guessed, “Is it since your friends are not attending, you may not have your own courage and enter the challenge?”

The teen felt his voice becoming shaky once more. After discussing the matter as much as they had, he figured his darker half would not leave until the specific matter was solved. He only nodded. He closed his eyes and allowed tears to fall once more. He had already told his partner he was afraid of being alone and that he wasn’t brave enough by himself. He remained unstable about what else could be spoken. To him, he felt he was racing around his problems and answers in circles.

“Yugi, even without your friends being physically at your side, they will continue to be there for you.” Yami smoothly brought up. “Just like some of our duels, they were always there. And you were there for them.”

“I guess… It’s just not the same… A duel is one thing… but school has always been something else.”

“Even though everyone takes a different path, don’t you believe it’s fair for them to go on separate roads and live their lives?”

“I… I thought about that, too… But… Maybe I’m just being selfish…”

“And just think about some of the people you will meet. Some may be friends while others will just be classmates… We can’t always find people we relate to right away. Take us for example: If we were two classmates rather than being connected through the Puzzle, do you think we would have been able to get along right away?”

“I… You might have found me annoying… like everyone else.”

“But after getting along… after seeing each other through different eyes, our two souls enjoy each other’s company. Perhaps there are people like you and me and everyone one else out there who may be afraid to start something new. But we won’t meet them unless we explore.”

“But I don’t want to say goodbye to anyone!”

Once the teen realized what he blurted, he quickly looked away. Closing his eyes, he cried once more. He had admitted another reason he tried to reserve.

Yami grew startled by the response. Despite him holding a good intention, having a person see through another lens would take time. He tenderly placed his hand on the boy’s cheek and quietly asked, “And why does any of this have to be goodbye?”

“Because… everyone is going on different paths…”

“Perhaps one day, those paths will connect once more. If your ties weren’t disconnected during the harshest realms of darkness, do you believe they will once you all enter life outside of high school?”

“M… Maybe… I… I don’t want to lose anybody…” Yugi embraced his other half with a firm grip. “…Even you…”

Glad he was included, he returned the gesture as he said, “And we don’t want to lose you. Every moment we have with you and your smile brightens our day. We all need to be strong and continue to move forward. With each of our journey, we cross paths with one another. As you said, man was not made to live alone.

“Whether we are standing together or alone, you will always have someone with you. I‘m always truly grateful we are with each other. You may need to choose important decisions, and it‘s beneficial you are evaluating how it will impact your life, but let‘s try and take this one step at a time. If you come to a problem, there are those who care about you who will listen to you and assist you. Think you can manage that?”

A knot within the teen’s stomach uncoiled. As tears ran down his face, he nodded. He reflected about what was discussed. He was happy to have someone like Yami with him. Even in the past, previous words of encouragement had always put a sparkling gem on his rough but pure heart.

Slowly, as some of the pain left him, Yugi began to smile.

The spirit became relieved seeing the teen no longer struggled through his current state at the moment.

The adolescent would be brave, like he had been. He decided to not run away but instead ask for assistance; he was there for his friends, and they will be there for him. He would remember his past so he would appreciate his present to help create a brighter future.

As he lifted his head, he said with a calm, cheerful smile, “Thank you, Yami.”

“Yugi,” Yami said gently. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

Yugi smiled his angelic smile. He understood his partner’s concern; he nearly lost one of the harshest games the dark realm had to offer as well as survive a tough, painful, physical illness and emotional unstableness. He only nodded.

Yami was glad his light was well. However, although he knew the reasons behind Yugi’s action and emotional trauma, he still wondered what gave so much courage to the boy. Here was a soul who sustained his purity, not tainted by hatred and revenge, a soul that appeared filled with misery prior to the restoration of an ancient artifact when he only wanted a friend.

“Yugi,” Yami began. “I have never met a soul like you in all of my time.”

Yugi continued to smile as he listened.

“You are so brave and willing to forgive everyone,” Yami went on. “But even heroes need someone to save them from time to time. You have done so for me countless times… but… what gave you so much courage? You had demonstrated your group of friends had given you courage, but what about before that? What about when you were younger and were bullied?”

Yugi grinned as he replied, “As I said earlier, a hero is nothing without friends to support him. And sometimes, heroes need the strength to stand on their own two feet. And, well, I did tell you that you could share my memories until we found yours…”

Yami nodded as he waited for his answer.

Tears fell down Yugi’s face as he closed his eyes and whispered in a shaky tone, “I want to show you.”

A sudden, familiar light flashed. Yami shut his eyes but did not fear it.

When the radiance diminished, Yami looked around and saw a younger version of his partner lying on his bed with a cold cloth on his head.

The spirit was swept away with the boy’s memories by his torture from the male students and the taunting from his childhood friend’s so called companions. Yami nearly lost his balance from his mind and heart receiving too many emotions at once. There were black outs, but the boy was recently released from the hospital after recovering from his horrific fever, but he continued to stay home remaining ill.

Young Yugi turned to his side on his bed and allowed more tears to fall off. He had thrown up violently and remained in his room alone. He was too emotionally drained to take any other action. He had earlier endured the toughest day of his life and couldn’t take anymore.

He did not want to face his peers.

He did not want to undergo the harsh beatings nor hear the piercing words he had been told so many times.

He felt completely worthless.

A gentle knock occurred on the door. The boy’s mother called out softly, “Yugi, Tea is on the phone and she would like to speak with you.”

Yami picked up the heartache his partner felt upon hearing the name of his only friend.

However, the boy gave reply. He had no strength to use his small voice. He believed he had no voice.

Yami heard Yugi’s mother walking away apologizing and explaining to the other line her son was still resting after being released from the hospital.

Suddenly, he heard Yugi’s thoughts once more.

“ _I’m sorry Tea… But I don’t want you to get hurt because of me… I’m sorry for being a loser… with… with no friends…_ ”

Yami gripped his shirt once more in agony. As the pain lessened, he walked closer to his pal. He assumed this was where his light had mentioned earlier about being unwell in bed once more. He wanted to show his presence and comfort but remembered he did not exist yet.

“ _I’ve always done my best in everything_ ,” Yugi continued woefully. “ _I’ve gone to school with a smile on my face, I’ve been nice to everyone… and yet… there I was again with blood on my face and my underwear stretched out even more…. I was in the hospital for three days, but I still don’t have any courage to go to school…_

“ _I just wanted a friend… A friend who would be there for me, and I would be there for them… Is that so much to ask for…? I’ve always heard of people trying to find their purpose in life… I’m almost in high school, and I don’t know what mine is… Am I… am I destined to be alone forever?_ ”

Yami’s eyes widened as tears proceeded to fall down. He pieced together the reasons why Yugi never believed in himself and why he refused to be alone again. In time, he knew Yugi would solve the Puzzle, but his partner felt completely hopeless.

“ _No_ ,” the spirit tried to discourage. “ _No… That isn’t your purpose at all!_ ”

The child sighed as he thought about running away.

“Don’t do that, Yugi!” Yami yelled even though he knew he wouldn’t be heard by anyone.

“ _Would I be missed by anyone? I think not… I wouldn’t be a burden to my family… Tea could hang around with whoever she wants… I wouldn’t have to deal with any of those bullies anymore… I barely survived school… I don‘t think I can make it anymore… How much pain do I have to go through…? I don‘t think anyone will miss me_...”

Yami fell to his knees screaming, “Yes! Someone would miss you! Your family would miss you! Your future friends will miss you! I’d miss you!”

Yugi’s voice faded as his depression consumed him, “ _Why should I bother trying anymore? There is nothing left for me_ …”

“Yes there is!” Yami bellowed once more. “Yugi! You have so much to live for! If not for me, you still will have your family and high school friends!”

Silence took control of the room. Yami only sobbed as Yugi felt very hazy and dizzy as his spirit was draining. Yami realized a part of his partner existed that he never saw before. Even though he gave his advice and comfort, this may have been something for Yugi to deal with alone, a journey for himself. Yami wondered what gave Yugi his strength to make it to high school and solve the Puzzle that eventually would lead to them meeting and becoming friends.

There was a knock on the door. Yugi did not respond as it opened.

“Yugi,” Solomon stood in the doorway with a gold box in his hands.

Yami’s eyes enlarged. He recognized that box. It was the same confinement that had imprisoned him for thousands and thousands of years. It was the same storage that contained the pieces to not only Yami, but Yugi’s second heart.

“I know how you like to solve puzzles,” the elderly man began, “and I thought this one was the challenge you were looking for…. So why did you place it back on the shelf?”

The young child did not reply. He appeared not interested anymore, especially in what seemed to be another childish game.

“There is an ancient script that reads whoever solves this will received the powers of the Shadow Game,” Solomon informed, attempting to make his grandson sound interested once more. He understood Yugi might have given up because of all the difficulties he was facing in school and other areas.

The boy’s ears perked up hearing his grandfather say, “The one who solves this Puzzle will also be granted a wish.”

He sat up from his bed and gazed over at the gold box.

“Why not try another crack at it when you feel better,” the old man suggested with a soft laugh, placing the box on the boy’s desk. “I’m sure you will be the one who solves it if you try again.”

He smiled as he walked out of the room.

The child’s eyes were glued to the gold object. The artifact reflected light off from his lamp.

“One wish…” he repeated riveted.

He thought about what he wanted. He had no interest in cliché cravings like money, fame, or fortune. He also had no desire to control the _Shadow Games_ , as they were called. There was only one thing he wanted more than anything in the world: a true friend.

He did not want to eat lunch alone anymore. He did not want to be picked last for any P.E. activities. He wanted to greet someone at school and hang out on weekends instead of being in his room alone like he was now.

Finally stepping out of his bed, he sat down on his chair. Glancing down at the box, he examined it carefully. A part of him wanted to believe in the inscriptions, but the other part felt doubt. He wondered if what he was told was true. He didn’t want to be taken advantage of anymore.

He closed his eyes and scoffed, “One wish? More like a joke; sounds too good to be true.”

Yami grew shocked. He wanted to protest and comfort his partner. He then remembered Yugi only felt the way he did because of the way he was treated. However, the Yugi that Yami knew was always gentle, kind, and friendly. He always placed others before himself and trusted everyone he met, even complete strangers. Yami then recalled his partner’s attitude was recently altered when he began fearing attending college on his own and that he was constantly taken advantage of as a child.

The pharaoh saw this was a part of Yugi the boy never wanted anyone to see.

Yugi opened his pupils and stared directly into the encrusted eye. He felt drawn to the hidden power. Cautiously, he lifted his hands towards the object.

Yami felt his own heart beat with anticipation. He wanted his partner to start the Puzzle and complete it as soon as possible. Although he wanted to be set free from his prison, he held a stronger yearning to set Yugi free of his pain. His concentration broke upon hearing the sound of metal pieces falling onto a desk.

He looked up and saw Yugi examining the gold shards. Some were already placed together while the rest remained jumbled up, a complete mystery as to which fit with what.

The boy wondered if he should even try.

He wondered if anyone would try and steal his gift from his grandfather.

He wondered if he even would be granted a wish at all.

Yami understood all the emotional torment his light underwent. He acknowledged what Yugi was feeling was an emotion called fear. He now knew Yugi was afraid of trying and believing in himself only to fail miserably.

Yami shut his eyes and prayed, “ _Please Yugi… don’t give up… Try… Just… believe in yourself, like all of us believe in you_.”

He shot his pupils open hearing the sound of metal clicking together. He saw a young boy with tri-color hair smiling a tiny smile as he managed to fit two pieces together.

“ _That’s it, Yugi_ ,” Yami encouraged. “ _You can do it… You managed to do it and set me free… set all of us free._ ”

After hearing several more clinks of metal, the boy sighed with frustration as the pieces were not fitting together. Yugi leaned back on his chair a tad annoyed, but the spirit saw in his light’s eyes a spark reforming. A light of hope had renewed within Yugi Muto.

Yami couldn’t help but smile, glad to see Yugi found something enjoyable that would lead him to a better life.

There was a sudden knock at the door. Yugi’s mother opened it and walked in towards her son with a piece of paper in hand.

“What is this,” she asked as she lifted up a progress report card with low grades.

Yami’s smile faded. He felt unhappy not only Yugi was not doing so well in his studies but because his moment of bliss was brief. However, to his surprise, the young child still smiled.

“I’m sorry,” Yugi replied calmly. “But I’ll do better next time. I promise.”

The young lady sighed but smiled as well.

“Ok,” she mumbled as she gave her child a kiss on the forehead.

Just then, an elderly man walked into the room. “Tea is on the phone and would like to know if you’re going to school tomorrow.”

The child nodded, “Yes, I will.”

Before the woman left the room, she remarked, “I’m a bit too tired to cook tonight. How about we all go out for dinner…”

“Yeah!” Yugi exclaimed with joy.

“That’s fine with me,” Solomon agreed.

“We’ll be leaving shortly,” the woman informed as she left.

“I can see the puzzle has captured your attention,” the old man winked as he left.

Yugi smiled as he said to himself, “I want to at least try.”

He walked away from his desk and placed on a fresh pair of clothes. He then returned to his desk and admired upon the shards he placed together.

“ _It feels like my heart is coming back along with these pieces_ ,” he reflected happily. “ _This can be a project… My project… Until I find my purpose in life_.”

Yami felt relieved hearing his light’s thoughts. He felt guilty he invaded his partner’s privacy, but Yugi had wanted to share this memory with his friend, who had no memories of his own, except for his new found life with his light.

Another bright blaze consumed the spirit of the Puzzle.

Yami embraced his other half.

Yugi grew confused about his partner’s action.

“Thank you,” the spirit whispered as tears streamed down his face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Yami?” Yugi questioned.

The spirit tightened his grip on the smaller boy as he continued, “Thank you for not giving up… Thank you for setting me free… Thank you for giving yourself another try…. Thank you… for everything.”

Yugi shut his eyes and allowed a few tears to fall down as he returned his friend’s hug. As time moves on, sometimes people forget how others see them. Yugi often neglected the way others saw him, even by those closest to him.

The two boys sat together closely with their backs against one of the walls. The younger boy pulled his legs closer to himself and hugged his knees tightly.

The older one was about to stop the action when he sensed the boy’s stomach was not suffering. Throughout their time together, Yami noticed his partner only took that body position whenever he was truly sad or unsure about something. He was curious to know what was on the boy’s mind now.

“Yugi?”

“When I was younger,” Yugi began quietly. “I would get sick often… My stomach would start hurting… and sometimes I would leave school early feeling sick… Sometimes, I stayed home for a while as my fevers got worse… I even had to stay in the hospital when I got really, really sick.”

Yami placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder for comfort. He understood humans became ill if their emotions took a toll on their body. He wanted to say something soothing but knew words could wait until Yugi was done speaking what dwelled on his mind. He allowed his light to carry on.

“I still went to school… I did my best in everything I did… but because of my size and since I wasn‘t great at sports, the boys would pick on me… I would sometimes hang out with Tea and some of her friends… but they all started to change… And then they started to treat me the same way like everyone else did… And after that beating I received, the one you saw, that was when I got really, really sick…

“I was in the hospital for three days… I couldn‘t eat or drink anything… It was almost like my body rejected everything and wanted to cave in… I worried my parents and grandpa… I stayed home for another day or so not wanting to go to school… I… I wanted to give up…”

“Then you were given the Puzzle once more,” Yami jumped in. “And because of your strong nature and pure soul, you solved the puzzle no one else ever had. If not, your soul would have been destroyed like others have been in the past.”

“Revenge doesn’t solve anything… It only causes more pain… I didn’t want anyone else to suffer because of me… and I didn’t want anyone to feel the same pain as I did… There would just be an endless cycle of pain and suffering.”

“I guess you and I are alike seeing how we both spend so much time alone… The only difference was you kept your pure heart while I allowed myself to be consumed by darkness and hatred.”

“But when I got into high school, I was very lucky to have Tea, Joey, and Tristan in most of my classes.”

“Even before you were friends? How exactly were those two different from the other bullies?”

“They weren’t picking on me…. They were teaching me to be a man…”

“But—”

“The way they talked to me… the way they treated me… it was different… They showed interest in _me_ and not what I had or because I was weak… They acknowledged me rather than just take my stuff or push me to the ground… Neither of them pitied me either.”

“Then why do you offer friendship to Kaiba? He does have Mokuba, and the boy accepted your friendship.”

“I’m sure Kaiba was like me, tired of being picked on for the way we were… I wanted to show Kaiba not everyone in the world is like that… I’m grateful to meet everyone like I had… I wanted to share my joy with him…”

“He’s lucky to have his brother. That is at least a start, I suppose.”

“We spread our circle of friends with Duke, Mai, and Malik. We even helped saved them from themselves from being controlled by revenge or loneliness.”

“Like you said, friendship is a better offer than revenge.”

“And then there’s you…”

“What about me?”

“I know some of the games you’ve played…even before we actually met…”

“Yes, I know. I am sorry, but it was the Shadow Realm who judged them… I didn‘t want anyone to harm you… I couldn‘t stand seeing people hurting others due to their own insecurities.”

“….”

“But I am very grateful I have you for a partner.”

Yugi embraced Yami with a tight hug. Tears started to cascade down his cherubic face.

“I want to help find your memories.” he sobbed sincerely. “That way, if you remember anything painful, I can be there for you, like you were here for me.”

Yami returned the hug back as he whispered gently, “I know… and thank you… Thank you for the memories I have now… I won’t ever forget them… I won’t ever forget you.”

“Me neither!”

The smaller boy gently fell and landed on the spirit’s shoulder.

The pharaoh kept a grip on his partner to ensure the teen would not smack against the floor.

Yugi had agreed he would take everything one step at time. His spirit could finally relax. Knot by knot, his stomach slowly uncoiled itself.

Even though he remained uncertain of his future, whether it was a week, a few years from now, or even the next ten minutes, Yugi was able to enjoy what and who he had at this very moment.

What’s a smile without a few tears?

Sometimes a smile can mean more after tears had been shed.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
